Category Archives: Book Launch

Authors, Blog Tour, Book Launch, ebooks, Fun stuff, LAHE Lifestyle, Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle magazine, Novels, Publicity, Publishing, readers, Writing

Historical inspirations behind SHANNON’S LAW – a very special ring

February 7, 2014 Melanie 2 Comments

Thank you so much for letting me showcase my forthcoming steamy action-romance novel SHANNON’S LAW. It’s the second in my PASSION PATROL series – stories where sassy female cops lock up the criminals and always get their man.

February marks the start of my “Pinterest Reveal Virtual Book Tour” in the run-up to the launch on the 28th February 2014.

Every day there are feature posts on topics relating to SHANNON’S LAW on blogs all around the world. They’re all linked together on one big Pinterest Board. Each post replaces a ‘mystery’ silhouette that was posted in January. I saved all my notes and photos as I was writing, on a private Pinterest Board and now I can share them with you.

Today’s subject is: Inspirational Jewellery – A very special ring sold in 2013

Shannon's_Law_Post_21_Inspired_by_a_ring — Empress Joséphine’s engagement ring… just about 1 carat each stone. Sold in 2013 by Joséphine’s family in Fontainbleau, Paris. THE most romantic ring in history?

There is a fair bit of jewellery in Shannon’s Law. Some of it is new but some of it is pre-owned. Lovers of baubles will probably be aware that the price of new jewellery does not indicate its cost in terms of metal and gems. Anyone who has ever sold an item will know that the secondhand price is often a fraction of the original tag in the jewellers store. There are some fabulous bargains to be had if you are prepared to consider something previously loved.

The above applies to most transactions. If the item was previously loved by someone famous all bets are off. During the writing of the story I was looking for a ring. There was already a Napoléon and Joséphine flavour to the narrative. While looking for a suitable object, the engagement ring given to Joséphine came up for sale at auction. Of course I had to step in and try to buy it. It was a snip at $ one million. Sadly I didn’t have quite enough cash. Despite my personal disappointment, one of the characters in the book did manage to make the winning bid. This is why I find fiction so appealing.

Looking at the ring I can imagine it on Joséphine’s finger. Napoléon was only a soldier in 1796 and it would have melted his credit card in the way that she had melted his heart. Somehow he got the cash. My theory is that it was in order to find the money that he went to war with half the world. The ring itself is beautiful. It is called a “toi et moi” style (“you and me”). The gold has aged to a gorgeous rose patina. It has a tear shaped sapphire alongside an inverted diamond of the same size and shape. It is a true work of beauty. It remained in Joséphine’s family until it was sold in March 2013 – the anniversary of two hundred and fifty years after her birth.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/napoleon-josephines-engagement-ring-sells-949000/story?id=18802074

BOOK BLURB

Wild child inner-city cop Shannon Aguerri walks a dangerous line between her methods and justice. When the bosses lose their nerve, after yet another maverick mission, she is transferred to green pastures to play out the role of a routine village cop. When she encounters signs of slave and drug trafficking she homes in on serious millionaire criminals.

As a loner she has attracted men but nothing has stuck. When she meets Spencer, the hunky and widowed Earl of Bloxington, there is an immediate rapport between them. Their social differences mean nothing to their passion and need.

Already in the mix is an upper class female rival – who has long plotted her way into the Earl’s bed. The jealousy is an evil shade of green and the anger is a violent scarlet.

Often inhibited by a sense of duty and honour, Spencer is slow to reveal his feelings. When Shannon confronts him with the need to choose between her word and that of her rival, he does not immediately support her.

All issues are set aside, when they are forced together to carry out a desperate rescue mission. Their love is stronger than everything ranged against them.

SHANNON’S LAW comes out on February 28th 2014 in print and digital formats for all e-readers.

Amazon are offering some great discounts for pre-orders of the paperback version
(29% off in USA, 12% off in the UK).

You can pre-order the digital version at a pre-launch special price from Nook, Kobo, and iTunes. It will also be available in all digital formats on Smashwords.

See this post and others from my tour as they go live on Pinterest.

Follow Shannon’s Law on Facebook.

Visit the Shannon’s Law Website for book details and pre-order information.

RAFFLECOPTER DRAW
Win Amazon vouchers, copies of the book PLUS a free gift for every entrant (see prizes below).

ENTER DRAW HERE: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/Mjg1OTEwYzI5YjYwMjA3ZWY2Y2EzZDEzODljNmNjOjE5/

The draw will be made at random, by Rafflecopter on the 7th March 2013.

Companion Cook-Book

In addition to SHANNON’S LAW, I’m launching a companion digital cook-book with illustrated recipes for all the meals from the novel.

It’s called COP’S KITCHEN – Read the love story and taste the romance!

To celebrate the launch of SHANNON’S LAW, there is a special FREE gift for you in my RAFFLECOPTER draw. As well as great, unique prizes to win, EVERY ENTRANT will get their own digital copy of – COP’S KITCHEN. There are many ways to get bonus chances – by commenting on this post, liking Facebook Pages etc.

ENTER DRAW HERE: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/Mjg1OTEwYzI5YjYwMjA3ZWY2Y2EzZDEzODljNmNjOjE5/

Main Prizes in the Draw:

$30/£20/€25 Amazon Gift Voucher, 2 paperback copies of Shannon’s Law, 3 digital copies of Shannon’s Law.

Shannon’s Law comes out in paperback and digital formats for all e-readers
on February 28th 2014.

Emma Calin’s Website

Emma Calin’s Twitter

Emma Calin’s Facebook

About.me page: http://about.me/emmacalin

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4915751.Emma_Calin

*****************************

This post is part of the

“SHANNON’S LAW PRE-LAUNCH PINTEREST REVEAL VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR”

Follow the other posts in February to see the background to the story unfold.

via the PINTEREST BOARD for Shannon’s Law

or via the individual blogs around the world here.

anthology, Appearances, Authors, Book Launch, Brockville, King Park Press, Publicity, Publishing, short stories, writing style

After the Wedgewood Author Series launch of The Consequences Collection

November 9, 2013 Melanie 3 Comments

The Wedgewood Author Series – The Consequences Collection

The weather on October 26th wasn’t conducive to anyone venturing out yet a few brave souls joined me as I launched my short story anthology – The Consequences Collection.

In the week leading up to my launch, I sold three print copies and one kindle version. These sales were to folks who couldn’t make it to the launch and one person who needed the versatility of the kindle to enlarge the font.

One lady who came to my launch, I found out was a friend of my aunt’s during high school, so we had a lovely chat before things got underway.

I spoke a wee bit about how my anthology came to be, how I got my fantastic cover image, then read from the title story, Consequences, which was originally written for the one and only storefront writing contest in Brockville.

consequences launch 1 — Talking about The Consequences Collection

Afterwards, I fielded questions from the intimate group gathered in the media room at The Wedgewood Retirement Resort.

consequences launch 2 — Working the room during the Q&A session

Then came time to sell books. Like I said, it was a small crowd but everyone there bought a book. And remember the lady who was a friend of my aunt? Well, she REALLY wanted a copy of A Shadow in the Past, so I sold her the copy that had travelled up mountains, to pubs, stone circles and ruined castles on our trip to Scotland (the only one I had with me) and she was happy as a clam.

consequences launch 3 — Signing yet another copy of The Consequences Collection

At the end of the day, I sold and signed eight copies of The Consequences Connection and one copy of A Shadow in the Past. The next day, I sold two more copies at my writers’ group meeting. My end sales – 13 paperbacks, 1 kindle.

Where to buy The Consequences Collection:

Paperback:

Epub:

Kindle:

Coming soon to amazon in paperback and to Barnes and Noble for the nook.

Authors, Book covers, Book Launch, Christmas, cover reveal, novella, Rock'n'Roll, Tradition, Writing

Spirits of Christmas: A Rock’n’Roll Christmas Carol by Nicky Wells

November 1, 2013 Melanie 2 Comments

Spirits of Christmas: A Rock’n’Roll Christmas Carol

At one time, up-and-coming rock singer Jude had it all: a great band, a platinum record, a loving girlfriend. This Christmas, however, he is well down the road towards spontaneous self-destruction.

Unwitting at first, Jude has progressively alienated his band and driven away the love of his life. Tonight, the night before Christmas Eve, he has broken the final taboo during a disastrous gig. Yet Jude doesn’t see how badly his life has derailed, not until a ghostly procession of legends passes through his bedroom with a series of vivid and powerful wake-up calls.

Will the Spirits help Jude put the friendship, love, and rock music back into his Christmas?

Spirits of Christmas is a modern-day rock’n’roll adaption of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. This novella will enchant romance readers, rock lovers, fans of ghost stories, and everybody who adores the festive season.

Amazon.co.uk Kindle | Amazon.co.uk Paperback

Amazon.com Kindle | Amazon.com Paperback

EXCERPT

‘Hiya, Jude!’

The voice emerged from the door, and Jude’s head whipped round as if drawn by a string.

‘Hiya, Jude,’ the voice repeated cheerfully. Unexpectedly, it launched into the first line of one of Jude’s most favourite songs. Jude once again sank onto the bed, his legs refusing to carry him with the shock of this second apparition.

‘Is this really you?’

For a moment, Jude’s second otherworldly visitor abandoned his song and remained silent, motionless, allowing Jude to take a good, long look. The sideburns, the nose, the defined chin, the round glasses were clearly visible despite the spirit’s transparent appearance. Everything about this figure was familiar, yet nothing was quite as it should have been. It was as though Jude was looking at a hologram, a distorted, stretched vision where nothing quite fitted together.

Nonetheless, Jude found his voice. ‘Oh my God, it is you!’

Excitement made his exclamation strong and clear. The figure flinched at the sudden burst of noise, but Jude ploughed on. ‘This is…this is totally unreal. I mean, imagine this—here’s me in my bedroom, and there’s you, come to visit me.’

‘I’m not who you think you see,’ the apparition interrupted. ‘I’m the Ghost of Christmas Past.’

Inspiration for Spirits of Christmas…

Writing this novella was a bit of an inevitability for me, all things considered. If you don’t already know me, you have to understand that I simply love rock music. Rock musicians are like Viagra for my soul. I’m also a sucker for romance and a good-old fashioned happy ending. Moreover, I love the Christmas season: the lights, the sweets, the laughter. Combining all those things ~ rock, romance, and Christmas ~ was one of the most delightful writing projects of my career so far!

The idea for this book came to me the very night after I launched my second book, Sophie’s Run, in February of this year. I was hyped up with excitement, I had finished writing my third book and was waiting for publisher edits, and I had already planned my fourth full-length novel. I was utterly and completely unable to sleep with everything that was going on, and quite unexpectedly, the whole story was in my head. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is one of my favourite Christmas stories both in the original and its many varied adaptations. I suddenly thought… why not bring it into the rock’n’roll domain?

My wonderful husband, Jon, was somewhat taken aback when I presented him with this plan the following morning.

‘I’m going to write a Christmas novella,’ I said.

‘But you’ve got another book launch in September, and you’ve planned your fourth book already—how’s this going to fit in?’ he responded enthusiastically, if pragmatic.

‘I’ll figure it out.’

And so I did. It took me just over a week to write the first draft in May 2013, and another few weeks here and there to tweak, fine-tune and polish it over the following months. But here it is. Spirits of Christmas. I hope you enjoy!

About Nicky Wells: Romance that Rocks Your World!

Hi! I’m Nicky Wells, your ultimate rock chick author. My books offer glitzy, glamorous contemporary romance with a rock theme ~ imagine Bridget Jones ROCKS Notting Hill! If you’ve ever had a crush on any kind of celebrity ~ rock, pop, movie or other ~ you’ll connect with my heroes and my leading ladies!

Like my first leading lady, Sophie, I love listening to rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters. When I’m not writing, I’m a wife, mother, occasional knitter, and regular contributor to The Midweek Drive show on Lincoln’s Siren 107.3 FM. Rock on!

My books: Sophie’s Turn | Sophie’s Run | Sophie’s Encore | Spirits of Christmas

Authors, Book Launch, Kindle, Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle magazine, Novels, Publishing

BOOK REVIEW – Voodoo Child by Janice Horton

October 31, 2013 Melanie 4 Comments

BOOK REVIEW!

In Voodoo Child, ex-celebrity UK fashion model Nola and her handsome Haitian husband Louis are expecting their first baby. But as one precious life begins another is about to end.

Louis’s beloved old Uncle Sid is dying and has declared his last wish is to see Louis and Nola’s new baby baptised on St John’s Eve – the most important event in the voodoo calendar. The voodoo isn’t over yet for Nola or for Louis!

My review:

Voodoo-licious!

In this the final instalment of Janice Horton’s Voodoo trilogy, we meet up with Nola, her Haitian husband Louis, “baby” and the rest of Louis’s voodoo practising family. With the impending death of Louis’s Uncle Sid, Nola, Lewis and their baby leave Scotland bound for New Orleans to fulfil the old man’s dying wish that the infant be baptised on St John’s Eve.

After reading the first two books in the trilogy (How Do You Voodoo? and Voodoo Wedding), I know that nothing is ever straight forward with this family unit and be prepared to expect the unexpected.

This final installment (actually the entire series) is a great Halloween read filled with voodoo spells, mayhem and mystery all skilfully interwoven into the plot that keeps you turning the ‘virtual’ pages.

☆☆☆☆☆ for Voodoo Child!

You can buy Voodoo Child at:

Amazon.com and Amazon UK

Authors, Book covers, Book Launch, celebrations, ebooks, LAHE Lifestyle, Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle magazine, Novel covers, Publicity, Scotland

Celebrating the upcoming launch of Voodoo Child by Janice Horton

October 27, 2013 Melanie 6 Comments

Thank you Melanie for inviting me across the pond to share my exciting news!

The third book in my series of voodoo romance novellas ‘Voodoo Child’ is out this week.

It’s available exclusively from Amazon for Kindle.

Story synopsis: In ‘Voodoo Child’, ex-celebrity UK fashion model Nola and her handsome Haitian husband Louis are expecting their first baby. But as one precious life begins another is about to end. Louis’s beloved old Uncle Sid is dying and has declared his last wish is to see Louis and Nola’s new baby baptised on St John’s Eve – the most important event in the voodoo calendar. The voodoo isn’t over yet for Nola or for Louis!

Amazon.com and Amazon UK

But what if you haven’t yet read the first novella How Do You Voodoo?

Or second book in this series Voodoo Wedding?

Well for the next five days (27^th – 31^st October)
I’m offering the first book in this series absolutely FREE

These are the free download links:

Amazon UK
Amazon.com

Other Amazon sites worldwide are included

Feel free to share, tweet, and tell all your friends!

Did you know that How Do You Voodoo? is an Amazon Kindle bestseller and it has 25 Amazon UK reviews with an average reader score of 4.6 stars!
Love Reading Love Books said How Do You Voodoo? was ‘A Five Star Read of 2012’

Voodoo Wedding – Book Two – is also available from Amazon for Kindle alongside Voodoo Child at the fabulous price of just $1.52 or £0.99p so why not treat yourself to a little voodoo romance this Fall?

Have a great Fall everyone and don’t forget
that I love to chat on Facebook and Twitter!

Janice Horton – Contemporary fiction with humour and heart

My Author Blog
Follow me on Twitter: @JaniceHorton
Friend me on Facebook Page
Link to my Amazon Author Page
Check out my page on Goodreads
My LLm Bookshelf
Associate Editor at: Loveahappyending Lifestyle Mag

Appearances, Articles, Authors, Book Launch, Local Authors, Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle magazine, Photographs, Publicity, Publishing, short story, Stories, Writing

The Wedgewood Author Series

October 26, 2013 Melanie Leave a comment

The Wedgewood Author Series

Yup, they’re having me back. Go figure, eh? This time, I’m there launching the print version of my short story anthology – The Consequences Collection.

Isn’t this a fantastic cover? I have to thank Madliz Coles for allowing me to use her photograph for my anthology. I don’t think I could have found a more perfect image.

Blurb:

The Consequences Collection is an eclectic compilation of twelve stories ranging from non-fiction through creative non-fiction to pure fiction, in prose and poetry.

The story of a Scottish Home Child is based on fact and told from the child’s point of view; The Mystery Woman of Kinettles is a non-fiction article on the appearance and subsequent disappearance of a woman’s body near the Wellington County House of Industry (Poor House) in 1879 Southwestern Ontario.

Sound intriguing? Well, come out to the Wedgewood Retirement Resort (that is if you live ‘local’ to Brockville), 15 Market Street East, at 2:00 p.m. today. I’ll be talking about the story behind the anthology and the stories contained within the covers as well as reading from one. Afterwards, you’ll have the opportunity to purchase a signed copy.

View Larger Map

I hope to see you there!

And remember… “If you could see the consequences – would you?”

4RV Publishing, Aberdeenshire, Appearances, Book Launch, Book Tour, England, game, giveaway, Publicity, readers, Scotland, Travel

Day 7 – Launch Day at the Rannes Hall in Kennethmont!

September 7, 2013 Melanie 1 Comment

Day 7 – Launch Day at the Rannes Hall in Kennethmont! – August 17, 2013

The big day was finally here! Was I nervous? A wee bit. Mostly because I still had no idea how many people were coming.

Besides my book launch today at the Rannes Hall, I appeared virtually on two blogs – one is my author friend, Nicky Wells’ Romance That Rocks Your World blog and I did an interview with Peggy Stanton over at Famous Five Plus so I hope you’ll pop over to these wonderful sites.

Compared to other days (especially our ‘free’ day), we did nothing. We both think we went in to Huntly that morning but for what, we can’t remember. We’d been there the night before. Still, we did something/went somewhere nearby in the morning and for the life of us, we have no recall whatsoever.

Fast forward to the afternoon… we loaded the car with books, book swag, door prizes and my silver sharpie pen for signing and made the short journey down the road. We could have easily walked, but trundling a suitcase behind us and me in my ‘ruby’ slippers, it wouldn’t have been a very comfortable walk.

I’m not sure when this sign popped up. I don’t remember seeing it the day before when we walked to the Old Kirkyard and we walked right past here – trash day, wheelie bin in front of the hall. I guess it ‘grew’ overnight.

Sign on the grass verge across from the Rannes Hall

Here it is – the venue for my book launch. Isn’t it a grand looking building? It’s home to many a Robbie Burns night and other functions.

When we pulled in to the car park, I was gobsmacked to see my friend, Bill Dunbar, still sitting in the vehicle beside us while his wife chatted by the side entrance with David, my Rannes Hall connection (and owner of Earlsfield Farm). He and Helen made the drive up from Quarriers Village for my launch. I got a huge hug from him as did Don (who insisted on it, since they’d come so far).

So, let’s go inside and see what it looks like in there. I have an advantage having been to a dance here in 2000 and seeing photos from Burns Night celebrations online.

My table was set up in front of the stage with alternating Canadian and Scottish flags affixed to it and three rows of seats were arranged in a semi-circle.

With the hall empty, it seemed even bigger than it really was. It was between 1:30 and 2:00 pm and so far it was only Bill and Helen, David, and Don and me. Nail biting time.

Soon, it went from hardly anyone to almost every seat filled. The original plan of doing my reading, followed by a Q&A session, then signing and selling kind of went out the window as people wanted to purchase their copy right away, or if they already had one, get it signed. Who was I to argue? It worked.

I had three draws for the following door prizes.

David wanted one of these so it was sheer serendipity when it was his wife’s ticket number that was drawn.

If our murky memories are correct, Helen Dunbar won the tote bag.

a shadow in the past 2014 calendar — A Shadow in the Past 2014 calendar

And the calendar was headed off to Dubai with a teenaged cousin of mine. And speaking of cousins…

3 1st cousins — Ian (back), me and Norman

Ian’s and Norman’s fathers were two of my Dad’s brothers who remained in Scotland. And it was Norman’s great-granddaughter who won the calendar.

By the time the afternoon’s event was over I sold… drum roll, please…

copies of A Shadow in the Past! Yippee!!!

People mingled afterwards over tea/coffee and shortbread before gradually saying their goodbyes and heading homeward. Once everyone was out of the hall, we did the same and went back to Earlsfield Farm to change and relax before going out to supper at The Hunters Moon in Auchleven.

In the end there were ten of us who went to supper. The food was amazing!

After our meal, we went over to Rhynie for the dance at the gala. There was a dance the night before for the younger crowd but they were all back in full force. I got bowled over trying to get in when security couldn’t wrestle a drunk out. Not the most auspicious start to the rest of the evening.

It was well after 1:00 the next morning when we finally got back to Earlsfield farm and we would be back on the road that morning heading south to Kelso.

No SEEKING SARAH SHAND today… we all know where she was. It will resume on Day 8.

Authors, Book covers, Book Launch, characters, Contests, giveaway, Novel covers, Novels, Publicity

Launch Day for Sophie’s Encore!

September 5, 2013 Melanie 2 Comments

It’s time to Rock And Roll in earnest! Yes, Nicky Wells is here to celebrate the upcoming launch of Sophie’s Encore. Three cheers for the third book in her Rock Star Romance Trilogy!!!

Says Nicky,
“I’m so excited to share with you, finally, this third installment in Sophie and Dan’s epic romance! Thank you for coming to celebrate with me. Read on for:

The blurb!

The fantabulous giveaway!

But most of all, enjoy yourself and party hard! Are you ready?”

Her rock star is waiting in the wings, but will he get a second chance?

It’s all change for Sophie Jones—only this time, there is more at stake than just her happiness.

Rock star extraordinaire, Dan Hunter, has been her patient and caring friend through the highs and lows since her wedding day, but now he figures it is time for her to start over. By stealth, the rock singer draws Sophie into the behind-the-scenes work for his band’s latest album. Through the days and weeks spent together at the mixing desk, Sophie discovers whole new horizons for her life, yet before she can even begin to explore them, she faces the very real threat of losing her rock star for good.

Join Sophie and Dan in Sophie’s Encore to find out how their journey will end…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy, exhilarated, bereft. Or: how it feels to finish a Trilogy.

It’s done. My third book, Sophie’s Encore, has hit the virtual shelves. The long-awaited conclusion to the epic romance between my girl-next-door, Sophie, and rock star extraordinaire, Dan, is written and published for the world to see. I’m not saying how it’s gonna end but… You wanted to know how it feels to get to The End. Well, let me see….

The beginning of the end: the writing of Sophie’s Encore

Monday, 8 October 2012. 9:30 am.

Cup of tea—check.

Laptop at the ready—check.

Plotline tacked to the wall—check.

I start typing. “So how is Dan?”

To my great surprise, I find that my hands are shaking. This is it. I’m going to bring the story to an end. I’m starting on the last leg of the journey, and I’m frightened. I know where I’m going, of course, but what will I do when I get there?

Sophie, Dan and me: Long-time friends

For eight years now, Sophie and Dan have lived in my head. For the past two years, they’ve been my and my family’s constant companion. Between us, we have talked about them as though they were real persons. But when I’m done, I’ll have to say goodbye. I hate goodbyes.

Still, there’s nothing for it but to forge ahead, so I start writing fast and furiously. As I’m working my way through my meticulous plan, I make some astounding discoveries.

The devil and the detail and all that…

First of all, chronology matters. Doh, right? Evidently I’ve planned the Trilogy in great detail, and still things trip me up. Ages, mostly. Sophie was 28 when the Trilogy started, and Dan was 38. They had birthdays ‘in between’ books and also quite prominently in Sophie’s Run, when Sophie celebrates her 30^th birthday with astounding consequences, and Dan his 40^th with ditto.

But time’s moved on. More birthdays have been had and other life-changing events have transpired. I find myself referring back to Sophie and Dan’s early romance as having been seven years ago. Oh, hang on, wasn’t it eight? Or maybe nine? *Cue nail-biting* Turns out that counting back in years yields a slightly different answer than counting back in ages.

My solution? More planning. I make a large table with twelve columns for months and several rows for years passed. I mark birthdays. I make the start and end of each book. I mark key events. I figure it out.

Next up, I’ve grown. My outlook has changed, and my perspective on Sophie and Dan’s fate has changed. Moreover, narrated time between books has passed, so Sophie herself has grown. I decide to tackle that issue head-on by having Sophie, Dan and Rachel reflect on how things are different for them, now.

I get so involved in fine-tuning these last details that I completely forget about the pain of goodbye as I feverishly approach the finishing line.

Done, done, done!

It’s end of January 2013 by the time I finish Sophie’s Encore. While I don’t exactly write the words, “The End”, I definitely know that this is the end, and do you know what? I shed a little tear or three. Happy tears, I hasten to add. And proud tears. I feel bereft and exhilarated at the same time.

Onwards and upwards

To stem the floods, I move on immediately. I start planning book 4; a new book, a new story, new characters, a fresh start. I mock up a cover for Sophie’s Encore. I launch Sophie’s Run. I conceive of a completely unscheduled mini-project that gets planned, written and completed in the space of four or five weeks. I edit Sophie’s Encore. I start writing book 4. See? There’s no standing still here, the only way is forward. I’ve dried those tears and launched myself headlong into new adventures.

So watch out, here I come! I have a surprise for you later this year, and my fourth full-length book, Fallen For Rock, is scheduled for release in the summer of 2014. Meanwhile, happy reading of Sophie’s Encore! I’d love to hear what you think!!

ROCK ON!

Party Time — The ENCORE PARTY!!

Join in the release day fun!! Come on and party with Nicky —
On her blog
On Facebook
On Twitter — #SophiesEncore

Moreover! In honor of the launch, the first two books in the Rock Star Romance Trilogy are available on Kindle for only $0.99/£0.77 for a limited time only!

If you haven’t already got them, go get them here:

Sophie’s TURN: AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM
Sophie’s RUN: AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM

If you’ve already read them, share the joy and spread the word!

Party Time — The GIVEAWAY!!!

1 x signed Sophie’s Encore Poster
2 x Sophie’s Encore Mugs
1 x Sophie’s Run Mug
1 x $10 Amazon Gift Voucher (or equivalent currency)
2 x Sophie’s Encore Key Ring
1 x Sophie’s Run Key Ring
2 x “Swag Pack” featuring 2 postcards (1 signed) each for all three Rock Star Romance books, and 2 bookmarks each for Sophie’s Turn and Sophie’s Run

ENTER HERE: a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway closes 30 September at 12 midnight BST.
Entrants must be 18 or over. Giveaway is open internationally.

About Nicky Wells

Nicky Wells is your ultimate rock chick author. Signed to US Publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, Nicky writes Romance That Rocks Your World, featuring the rock star and the girl next door.

Nicky’s books offer glitzy, glamorous contemporary romance with a rock theme ~ imagine Bridget Jones ROCKS Notting Hill!

Born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993 and currently lives in Lincoln. In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in London and Washington, D.C. Like her leading lady, Sophie, Nicky loves listening to rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters. When she’s not writing, she’s a wife, mother, occasional knitter, and regular contributor to The Midweek Drive show on Lincoln’s Siren 107.3 FM. Rock on!

*Nicky waves*
Whoa! What a party! I hope you enjoyed yourself. Thank you again for stopping by Celtic Connexions today to help me celebrate. Happy reading and rock on! And don’t forget to say ‘hi’, I’d love to hear from you and I will come back to chat later!

4RV Publishing, Aberdeenshire, Appearances, Authors, Book Launch, Family, Novels, Publicity, Publishing, readers, Reading, roots, Scotland, Travel, Writing, YA fiction

BOOK LAUNCH DAY for A SHADOW IN THE PAST

August 17, 2013 Melanie 5 Comments

BOOK LAUNCH DAY for A SHADOW IN THE PAST in SCOTLAND

After years of dreaming and wondering if my dream would ever come true, I’m happy to say that my Scottish Book Launch of A Shadow in the Past is happening. Yay! There was a lot of hard work and rejection slips along the way, but it’s finally happening.

book launch poster with quotes

But why is it so important to me that I launch my book in Scotland after being at its debut in the US then hosting a launch in my hometown?

Well, it’s this. My father came to Canada as a Scottish Home Child through the auspices of The Orphan Homes of Scotland in 1930. I fell in love with the country and its people right from the time I stepped off the plane on my first trip in 1993. Subsequent trips followed and the spark of a story came to me inspired by the area surrounding my father’s birthplace. That story grew into a novel and I promised myself that when I got published, I would host a launch in the Rannes Hall in Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire.

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e-book launch party + giveaway for A SHADOW IN THE PAST

August 4, 2013 Melanie 39 Comments

Welcome to the e-book Launch Party for A SHADOW IN THE PAST + GIVEAWAY

The big day is finally here! I’m so excited. Today, I’m hosting the e-book launch party for my debut novel, A Shadow in the Past. I know I’ve been urging you not to download my novel and there’s been a really good reason behind this. If everyone waits until launch day – today – then my book will soar up the ratings at amazon, especially if everyone buys the kindle version… hint, hint…

When a contemporary teen is transported back through time to the Victorian era, she becomes A Shadow in the Past…

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.

confetti burst Now that you know what the book is about – let’s PARTY!

Since A Shadow in the Past takes place in Scotland, I thought we’d start out with some Scottish music to get things started.

How about a little Old Blind Dogs to start things off with their song Bennachie.

The hill of Bennachie is in Aberdeenshire and not all that far from the fictitional village of Kendonald where A Shadow of the Past takes place.

I suppose you’re starting to get hungry. I know it’s not Scottish fayre, but let’s order in pizza. I know not everyone likes the same toppings, so you can all choose your own by clicking on this link.

While we’re waiting for our pizzas to arrive, I’ll put on some more music. Runrig is another one of my favourite Scottish bands, and when I’m listening to CDs when I’m driving, I love to crank the volume up for this song – Alba.

Pizza’s here! Too bad real delivery wasn’t this fast. I’ll just fetch us some bubbly that I’ve had chilling to celebrate with.

champagne

While we’re recharging our batteries with a bite to eat and a glass or two of bubbly, I’ll pop on 500 Miles by the Proclaimers. Every time I hear this song, I think of the movie Benny and Joon.

Anyone for dessert? It’s a hot day so I thought ice cream would be fitting. I’ve got it and frozen yogurt in case you prefer that along with waffle and sugar cones, dishes, and loads of toppings. I’ll set everything out on the kitchen island and we can make our own – sundaes or cones!

As my e-book launch party winds down, I must give you the most important links of all – the where to buy links!

My GIVEAWAY:

You could win one of two A Shadow in the Past swag packs.

A Shadow in the Past 2014 wall calendar with photographs taken by me depicting the area(s) where the book was set.

To enter the draw, leave your answer to this question “If you could go back in time, what era would you like visit?” in the comments. A winner will be chosen randomly.

Good luck!

I hoped you enjoyed my launch party today but even more importantly, I hope you enjoy reading A Shadow in the Past as much as I enjoyed writing it.