Category Archives: Book Launch

If you could travel back in time…

Time Travel – If you could travel back in time… what era would you like to visit?

Since A Shadow in the Past is a time travel novel, it’s only fitting that the theme for my e-book launch splash on August 4th is what era would you most like to visit if you could travel back through time. blog party button

A Shadow in the Past is on these lists at Goodreads:

2013 Summer Reads
Young Adult Romance
2012 Debut Authors Young Adult and Middle Grade
Young Adult Novels by Goodreads Authors
Teen Historical Fiction

Stop by and cast your vote in one or all of the lists mentioned above and launch A Shadow in the Past to the #1 slot – create even more buzz for e-launch day.

So put your thinking caps on and be ready to reveal your answers in the comments here on launch day. You could win book swag:

a shadow in the past ebook postcard fronta shadow in the past postcard backa shadow in the past postcard fronta shadow in the past postcard backa shadow in the past bookmarkor a 2014 A Shadow in the Past wall calendar:

a shadow in the past 2014 calendarGood luck to everyone who enters!

Blowing My Own Trombone Book Launch Blog Tour by Emma Calin

Hello Melanie – thanks so much for letting me visit your blog to tell everyone about my new book

  “THE LOVE IN A HOPELESS PLACE COLLECTION

Boxed set Kindle

Now, this tour of mine is called the “Blowing my own Trombone Book Launch Blog Tour”.  We have had The Muppets and Cabaret and today – it’s Edelweiss from The Sound of  Music – I’ll leave you to be the judges of that…

The ‘Love in a Hopeless Place Collection‘ is a set of five of my stand-alone titles amalgamated into one. A bargain way for you to get your hands on my gritty tales-with-a-twist.  Initially available for e-books (Kindle, iPad, Android, iPhone, Mac, PC etc on Amazon), the paperback will follow and an audiobook is in production. The titles in the collection are all novelettes or short stories. They stand alone in their own right but are linked by a common theme:  the universal quest for survival, love, passion and respect against the gritty backdrop of working class life.

Sub-Prime – a gritty short story

The Chosen – a short story with a twist

Escape To Love – a novelette, a suspense romance with a twist

Angela – a short story

Love in a Hopeless Place – a novelette, a romance.

The title of one of the books and also the complete collection, “Love in a Hopeless Place”, comes from the song by Rihanna “We Found Love (in a Hopeless Place)”, which  played on the radio at a pivotal point in this individual tale,  but also really expresses the flavour of the collection as a whole.

Here is a small excerpt:

‘To want is easy. To be wanted is a delicious warm bath but with someone else’s hand on the hot tap. Once you’ve jumped the fall takes no courage or talent. I did a parachute jump once for a hospice charity. If you look up where you’ve come from it’s speeding away from you and you can never go back. It’s better to look at the ground because that’s where you’re headed and it’s an obtainable certainty. I knew by inviting her I’d crossed a frontier and as yet the guards hadn’t opened fire.’

LIAHP for vine copy

I am pleased to be able to tell you that during July and August ‘ANGELA‘ the short story from the collection is FREE – so you can even try one before you buy the set!

I would like to thank Melanie for having me on her blog as part of my ‘Blowing My Own Trombone Book Launch Blog Tour’.  If you want to read more excerpts from all the other titles in the collection – or would just like to hear me blow another tune, come along to the other blogs on my tour over the next 10 days:

Blowing Blog logo17th July Anneli Purchase

18th July Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle Magazine

and Real Life According to Emma

20th July Sheryl Browne

21st July Nicky Wells

22nd July Melanie Robertson-King

25th July Bonnie Trachtenberg

26th July Patricia Sands

27th Stephanie Keys

28th Linn Halton

31st July Venture Galleries Authors Collection

About Emma Calin:

EmmaCalinrectangular500KEmma Calin was born in London in 1962. She currently lives part of the year in the UK and spends the rest in France. She has been writing since childhood and has won numerous local, national and international prizes for poetry and short stories.

Emma enjoys writing love stories firmly rooted in social realism. She blogs about the contrasts in life on both sides of the English Channel, which she likes to explore on her tandem whenever weather and fitness coincide. She is a Lifestyle Contributor on Loveahappyending Lifestyle.

She defines herself as woman eternally pedaling between Peckham and Pigalle, in search of passion and enduring romance.

Emma Calin Links

The Love in a Hopeless Place Collection on Amazon Worldwide

For more books by Emma Calin:  http://www.viewAuthor.at/EmmaCalin

Emma Calin Blog: http://www.emmacalin.blogspot.com

Emma Calin Website: http://www.emmacalin.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/emma.calin

Facebook Page for book: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaCalinBoxedSet

Twitter:@Emma Calin

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/emmacalin/

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

Emma Calins 6 titles Medium 1700

Launch of the e-book version of A Shadow in the Past coming soon!

Countdown to E-launch day for A SHADOW IN THE PAST

I’ve said in a previous post blog post that I want you to wait until August 4th to buy your copy so that A Shadow in the Past skyrockets up the rankings with all the launch day purchases.

Asking people not to buy a book right away sounds daft but I’ve seen it work before with my author-friend, Janice Horton’s, novel Bagpipes and Bullshot, which recently won in the Kindle category of The People’s Book Award.

Now that I’ve extolled the virtues of my friend’s successes, it’s time to get on with extolling the virtues of mine.

What people are saying about A SHADOW IN THE PAST

Stone circles, Scottish legends and romance.  A SHADOW IN THE PAST has it all.

… a captivating read.

… a compelling time-travel journey.

… a seemingly impossible romance.

… Incredible how the author weaves each character with the story.

Don’t those comments intrigue you? I think they did so read on and find out what all the hype is about.

ebook cover on reader

Blurb:

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.

I’ve got a fun-filled party with giveaways planned for August 4th so I hope you’ll drop by for some virtual food and drink and listen to some Scottish music and your chance to win some signed book swag or a 2014 calendar.

Where to buy links:


amazon.com logo
amazon.co.uk logo


But don’t forget, August 4th is the big day!

 

Book Review: Missing Believed Dead by Chris Longmuir

Book Review

To celebrate Chris Longmuir’s paperback launch of MISSING BELIEVED DEAD at Waterstones, Dundee, I’m posting my book review of this latest book in her Dundee Crime Series here today.

MISSING BELIEVED DEAD

Missing-Believed-Dead-WEB

Missing children! Internet predators! Dead bodies!

She crossed his arms over his chest, and placed the jade beads in his eyes. ‘To remind you of me,’ she said.

Jade was 13 when she disappeared, five years ago, and DS Bill Murphy suspects someone from her family is responsible for recent Dundee murders. But is it her mother, Diane, who now suffers from OCD? Or Emma, her twin sister, who was catatonic for a year after Jade’s disappearance. Or Jade’s brother, Ryan, who enjoys dressing in women’s clothes and is going through a sexuality crisis, unsure whether or not he is gay.

What happened to Jade? Is she alive or dead? Or has she returned to wreak a terrible revenge on all male predators?

My Review

Thrilling read that kept me turning the pages!

Chris Longmuir has done it again. In this chapter of her Dundee Crime Series, we travel into the seedy world of Internet predators. DS Bill Murphy has to solve the case of missing girls who have disappeared after being on Internet chat rooms. Will he find them in time? Or are they already dead? In true Longmuir fashion, you never really know who the suspect is and just when you think you’ve figured it out, she twists the plot yet again leaving you with that ‘I was so sure I had it’ feeling.

Missing Believed Dead is a must read for anyone who likes dark, gritty crime.

Author Bio

Chris LongmuirChris Longmuir was born in Wiltshire and now lives in Angus. Her family moved to Scotland when she was two. After leaving school at fifteen, Chris worked in shops, offices, mills and factories, and was a bus conductor for a spell, before working as a social worker for Angus Council (latterly serving as Assistant Principal Officer for Adoption and Fostering).

Chris is an award winning novelist and has published three novels in her Dundee Crime Series. Night Watcher, the first book in the series, won the Scottish Association of Writers’ Pitlochry Award, and the sequel, Dead Wood, won the Dundee International Book Prize, as well as the Pitlochry Award. Missing Believed Dead is the third book in the series.

Her crime novels are set in Dundee, Scotland, and have been described as scary, atmospheric, page turners. Chris also writes historical sagas, short stories and historical articles which have been published in America and Britain. Writing is like an addiction to me, Chris says, I go into withdrawals without it. She is currently working on a further 2 crime novels.

Chris is a member of the Society of Authors, the Crime Writers Association and the Scottish Association of Writers. She designed her own website and confesses to being a techno-geek who builds computers in her spare time.

Links

Website: http://www.chrislongmuir.co.uk/

Blog: Chris Longmuir, Crime Writer

Amazon Author Page: Amazon author page UK

Amazon Author Page: Amazon author page US

 

Countdown to e-launch of A Shadow in the Past is on!

Countdown to E-launch day for A SHADOW IN THE PAST


The party takes place on August 4th!

You’re probably tired of my wittering on about A Shadow in the Past being available as an e-book now and I apologize for that, but… a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do to get the name out there.

ebook cover on readerIsn’t that a beautiful cover gracing this e-reader?

Blurb:

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.

I know you’re all just dying to download your very own copy of A Shadow in the Past, but I would really appreciate it if you waited until the launch party on August 4th. There is a method to my madness. I haven’t gone completely off my nut (although there are probably some who would disagree). The idea behind my asking you to wait is this… If everyone buys on the same day, A Shadow in the Past will skyrocket up the charts and will get better rankings from amazon, Barnes and Noble, kobobooks, etc.

I’ve got a fun-filled party planned for August 4th so I hope you’ll drop by for some virtual food and drink and listen to some Scottish music.

Where to buy links:


amazon.com logo
amazon.co.uk logo


Launch day for BEWARE OF THE WHITE by author Kai Strand

Launch Day for BEWARE OF THE WHITE by Kai Strand!

Terra: Twelve years old, bit of a loner, thinks she’s nothing special.
Blanco: Over four hundred years old, leader of the death tribe, thinks he’s very special.
Frank: Eighteen years old, humble, handsome, he is very special.

Can Natures Spirit, Terra, maintain the peace of Concord, or will Blanco, leader of the death tribe defeat her and the underground city?

About the book:

As is tradition, Terra learns on the Saturday past her twelfth birthday that she is a Natures Spirit. It is her legacy to serve in the peaceful underground city of Concord. Learning she is named in a prophecy and being threatened by the leader of the death tribe…that part breaks tradition.

The Trepidus are the death janitors of the Underworld, responsible for delivering fatalities with a smile and cleaning up after themselves until Blanco, recent leader of the Trepidus, decides the day of reckoning for his species is coming. He begins organizing the creatures and leads them toward an uprising. The prophecy says there is one person who can stop him. Terra.

With Spirit of Security, Frank, protecting her, Terra attempts to complete her training and discover her Spirit talents. Together, they go on a rogue investigation to learn how to defeat Blanco. In the end, it comes down to a battle of the minds. The future of Concord is at stake. Will Blanco, the older, more experienced being win? Or will Terra, the young, new Spirit earn back the peace of the city?

Buy it!

MuseItUp Publishing

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

or look for it on iTunes

About the author:

Kai Strand writes fiction for kids and teens. Her debut novel, The Weaver, was a finalist in the 2012 EPIC eBook Awards. She is a (very lucky) wife and the mother of four amazing kids. The most common sound in her household is laughter. The second most common is, “Do your dishes!” She and her family hike, geocache, and canoe in beautiful Central Oregon, where they call home.

To find out more about Kai’s books, download companion documents, find links to her published short stories and discover all the places to find Kai both virtually and in person, visit her website: www.kaistrand.com.

She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to send her an email or visit her facebook page, Kai Strand, Author.

To celebrate the launch of BEWARE OF THE WHITE, Kai Strand has awesome book related prize packages. Be sure to enter to win. And return again and again to claim entries as you qualify. Kai will also have Spontaneous Giveaways during her book tour.

Those giveaways won’t be announced so be sure to follow Kai’s tour. Only virtual stalkers will have the opportunity at all the fun!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

BOOK REVIEW – How To PARTY Online by Janice Horton

How To PARTY Online

I loved this book! But before I give you my full book review, I’ll share some ‘party’ background first.

How to Party Cover Lge“Janice has made it her business to get stuck into the whole self-publishing malarkey. Savvy enough to realise it’s not enough to simply write, she’s studied social media marketing until it could be her specialist subject on Mastermind. She can plan a book launch, maximise publicity, keep the momentum going after the first initial flush, and perhaps most of all, she knows how to make the whole thing fun, which is no mean feat”. DG Life Magazine.

How To PARTY Online:

• Online parties are a fun way to launch your book or introduce your product and engage with your target audience.
• Social media applications are perfect forums for parties – the venue capacity is infinite, the guest list is global, and the fun and games can lead to bestselling success!
• This aim of this book is to show you how you can produce measurable results from your very first online party and while you are still working towards building up your social network.
• The purpose of this book is to walk and talk you through each step of the planning and implementation of four very different online promotional parties.
• Together we will look at how much work and effort is involved in implementing each step and we will experience the party format, explore the outcomes, and quantify all the successes.
• I’ll show you how to make it lots of fun!

Comments about Janice Horton’s online parties from the party peeps themselves:

“I loved the parties because of the amazing fun and laughs we had – even if some of us ended up in twitter jail!”
“I liked the ways in which you involved others during these parties. They were great fun.”
“Absolutely LOVE your blog parties!”
“The idea of having us post photos was brilliant in that it set up a series of interactions between lots of the different people who came – some of whom I’d never ‘met’ before.”
“Love how you come up with such innovative ideas for each one.”
“Great fun!”
“The party was a blast! I loved it.”
“It was great being a part of something that involved so many different blogs. It was very unique and totally engaging!”
“I took part in the online party. What I enjoyed about it was reading all the other blogs that took part – everyone had something different.”
“You have held some really fun and fab parties Janice. All have been great to join in!
“I’ve been to all of them and it would be difficult to pick out a favourite.”
“What I think worked was that they were all different and each had an element of surprise.”
“Asking ‘guests’ to do something specific ensured personal involvement – key to the success of any ‘virtual’ event.”
“I enjoyed all your parties, Janice.”
“The (party) was a lesson in how it should be done.”
“A book of hints and tips is a great idea. Good luck with it!”

My thoughts on HOW TO PARTY ONLINE

This book is a MUST for anyone planning an online launch, especially those who are heading down the online launch trail for the first time. Janice details the lead time required for each type of launch – Facebook, Twitter or blog but keeps everything light so that when the “big” day comes, it’s FUN and hopefully, stress-free.

I’ve attended Janice’s online parties and know the amount of work that went in to each one, but when you arrive at the venue, everything seems seamless and effortless. Trust me, it isn’t.

So my rating? ☆☆☆☆☆

About the Author

Janice Launch Portrait Janice Horton escaped a city-chic lifestyle and a career in corporate brand placement to live in a remote cottage on the side of a hillside in Scotland. Previously traditionally published and now writing as an Indie, Janice writes fiction with humour, heart, and a hint of tartan. When not writing novels, Janice writes lifestyle articles and has had work published in national and international magazines. She has also been involved in BBC Scotland’s ‘Write Here Write Now’ incentive. Janice is a regular blogger and you’ll often find her partying on Facebook and Twitter. She is a contributing editor with her Scottish Country Lifestyle feature and the editor of the twice monthly Bookshelf Reviews at Loveahappyending Lifestyle magazine.

You can buy How to PARTY Online at

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Amazon.ca

It’s release day for the paperback version of Angel Girls by D.S. Ingram

angel girlsAngel Girls

Carrie Miller and her only daughter Sarah share a dark secret that no one must ever discover. A secret surrounding the demise of a brutal husband and father. They are determined not to reveal the truth. Not even to Jonny Mason the handsome young man who adores Sarah and would do anything for her. Even Suzy Pond, Sarah’s best friend must not find out. Suzy is trying to cope with her wayward boyfriend Billy. He lies and steals from her and leaves her pregnant and alone.How will she cope? How will Jonny cope when his own beloved father is brutally attacked and left for dead? As one young man’s life spirals out of control, the women around him gather their strength. Some friendships are shattered forever, some are strong enough to weather the most terrible of tragedies.

Where to buy:

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Debra’s Bio:

I was born and brought up in the area of London known as “The Angel” where my books are set. I now live in East London with my husband and youngest son. I have two sons and one beautiful granddaughter. I studied Social Science with the Open University and have a B.A hons degree. I work part time as a play worker with primary school children. I worked with special needs children for more than twenty five years prior to this. Angel Girls is my second novel. It is the first of my books to be released as a paperback. Angel Girls and my first novel, Poppy Days are also available for kindle. I am hoping to release Poppy Days as a paperback later this year.

You can follow Debbie Ingram on Twitter at @dollhousedeb

SECURITY by LAHE Lifestyle author, Mandy Baggot

Today I’m hosting fellow Loveahappyending Lifestyle author, Mandy Baggot and her new romantic suspense novel, Security, brought to you by Sapphire Star Publishing!

MandyBaggotSecurity_600

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*****
Autumn Raine is a pop vocalist at the very top of her game. She’s a style icon, the paparazzi’s darling and everyone wants to be her friend. But when her safety is threatened, her whole life starts to unravel.

AutumnEnter Nathan Regan, an ex-elite soldier who is assigned to protect her. He’s a good man doing bad things but what drives him? Passion? Madness? Or grief? Demons from his past are threatening to consume him. Can he win the fight alone or will he have to admit he needs help?

NathanAs the threat deepens, Autumn starts to find out who she really needs in her life. Is there still room for personal assistant Janey or rapper boyfriend Rockweiler? When everyone around her is feeding her lies, how does she work out the truth? Does her record producer know more than he’s letting on? What is her mother, the British Foreign Secretary’s involvement in the situation? And can Autumn put her faith in a forty-something Jamaican woman who handles an automatic weapon as expertly as she cooks?

Eluding kidnap and trying to stay alive, can Autumn find the strength to be the person she longs to be? And can two people, poles apart, forge something strong enough to survive anything?

SECURITY can be purchased from:

Amazon UK Kindle http://www.amazon.co.uk/Security-ebook/dp/B00C5QOWXS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364975367&sr=1-1

Amazon US Kindle http://www.amazon.com/Security-ebook/dp/B00C5QOWXS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364975673&sr=1-1&keywords=Mandy+Baggot+Security

Amazon US paperback http://www.amazon.com/Security-Mandy-Baggot/dp/1938404521/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364975673&sr=1-2&keywords=Mandy+Baggot+Security

You can find out more about Mandy at these links:

http://www.mandybaggot.com/

http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/mandybaggot

LAHE LIFESTYLE

Today, Mandy and I are asking, what makes you feel safe/comfortable/secure?

Me, I feel secure when I’m cuddled up next to my husband.

To be in with a chance to win an e-copy of Security, leave a comment and your email address and let me know what makes you feel secure? Could it be knowing you have that secret stash of chocolate hidden away or perhaps you have a favourite piece of music that wraps you up like a blanket! Get commenting to win! Closing date 30 April 2013.

Mandy is also giving away a £25/$40 Amazon Gift Certificate to anyone who posts a review at amazon between now and 31 May 2013. You’ll automatically be entered into a Rafflecopter draw to win.

Rafflecopter

 

 

Happy Hogmanay!

Dec 31st says goodbye to the current year in anticipation of what is to come in the next year. Known as New Year’s Eve in many countries, in Scotland, it’s a special celebration known as Hogmanay. Great street parties with entertainment take place in major cities. Edinburgh’s celebration is the most widely known. You can see what’s happening in Scotland’s capital to ring in 2013 here.

But before I pop the cork on the champagne, I want to take a look at 2012 and reflect on all the good things that happened to me during the year.

In early January, fellow Writers’ Ink member, Joe Mossman, and I did a spot for the local cable TV’s program, Readers’ Corner and talked about our group.

Joe Mossman, myself and host of Readers' Corner, Doreen Barnes
Joe Mossman, myself and host of Readers’ Corner, Doreen Barnes

A few days later, I was assigned my editor. We hit it off immediately which made the revision process a lot more fun. My gorgeous cover designed by Aidana WillowRaven was revealed here on January 18th.

My novel's cover created by Aidana WillowRaven
My novel’s cover created by Aidana WillowRaven

In February, I was honoured with my First Book award from the Ottawa Romance Writer’s Association.

IMG_0711

March came and with it, I received the Versatile Blogger Award from loveahappyending.com associate reader, Susan Livingston. I had been an associate reader for loveahappyending.com myself since June 2011 and on May 21, 2012 (my son’s birthday), I became a featured author!

June brought about the new Melanie Robertson-King “brand” reveal.

website header
The weekend of Sept 14-17 (okay Friday to the following Monday – weekend plus) took me to Kansas for the debut of my novel… and best of all, I got to hold it in my hot little hands for the first time. It was brilliant meeting my editor, Carla, for the first time and my publisher, Vivian Zabel, and fellow 4RV Publishing authors Jacque Graham, Janet Brown and Galand Nuchols.

Janet Brown, me, and Galund Nuchols with our books that debuted at the Kansas Book Festival
Janet Brown, me, and Galund Nuchols with our books that debuted at the Kansas Book Festival

My short story, Cole’s Notes, that had been accepted for publication became available for the Kindle in Carrick Publishing’s first cross-genre anthologyEFD1 Starship Goodwords Cover – EFD1 – Starship Goodwords, and classed as literary fiction, no less!

Home from Kansas and the following weekend I hosted my hometown launch at the Wedgewood Retirement Resort in downtown Brockville.

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One week later, I embarked on a 21-stop 15-day blog tour starting off at loveahappyending.com and ending at Author Roast and Toast.

In October, I created a blog for my character, Sarah, and filmed another program for Readers’ Corner – this time talking about my novel,

readers corner

was invited to join Famous Five Plus and woo-hoo, I got my first 5-star review for A Shadow in the Past!

November came along and with it, my first kick at the can taking part in NaNoWriMo, and a number of appearances and signings – Ladies’ Night at Green Things Garden and Gift Shop, the Mallorytown Legion’s Christmas Bazaar and Bake Sale, and finally downtown Brockville’s Christmas Open House at Leeds County Books.

December and another signing – this time in Gananoque at All About Books Internet Cafe and I was awarded the Liebster Award by Joanne Clancy.

A great year for sure, and now I’m looking forward to what 2013 brings! So now that I’ve rambled on long enough, it’s time to pop the champagne corks and ring in the New Year.

champagne 5

champagne 4

Happy New Year! Happy Hogmanay! Or Happy whatever you call it in your part of the world. May 2013 be good to you and yours! Cheers!