Category Archives: Novels

4RV Publishing, Aberdeenshire, Authors, Book Launch, Books, ebooks, Kindle, kobo, LAHE Lifestyle, Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle magazine, nook, Novels, readers, Scotland, Writing, YA fiction

If you could travel back in time…

July 28, 2013 Melanie 6 Comments

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.

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:

or a 2014 A Shadow in the Past wall calendar:

Good luck to everyone who enters!

book blitz, Books, Inkspell Publishing, LAHE Lifestyle, Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle magazine, Novels, Paranormal YA, Publicity, Publishing, Reading, YA fiction

Book Blitz for THE STAR CHILD by Stephanie Keyes

July 24, 2013 Melanie 3 Comments

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.

“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 →

Authors, Blog Tour, Book Launch, General, Kindle, LAHE Lifestyle, Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle magazine, Novel covers, Novels, Publicity, Publishing, short story

Blowing My Own Trombone Book Launch Blog Tour by Emma Calin

July 22, 2013 Melanie 2 Comments

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”

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.’

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:

17th 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:

Emma 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

Authors, cover reveal, Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle magazine, Novel covers, Novels, Publicity, Publishing

Learning to Love by Sheryl Browne

July 21, 2013 Melanie 5 Comments

London — Safkhet Publishing

London-based independent publisher Safkhet Publishing and romance author Sheryl Browne of Droitwich, Worcestershire, England, announce the publication of the poignant romance thriller, Learning to Love, a look at love, life and relationships, on 22 July 2013.

Learning to Love—“chosen for publication in the Birmingham City University School of English Anthology”

Synopsis:

Widower, Dr David Adams, has recently moved to the village—where no one knows him, ergo there’s no fuel for neighborhood gossip—to start afresh with his ten year old son, if only he can get to a place where his son wants to speak to him. Angry and withdrawn, Jake blames his dad for the death of his mother, and David doesn’t know how to reach him.

Andrea Kelly has too many balls in the air. With three children and a “nuts” mother to care for, her fiancé can’t fathom why she wants to throw something else into the mix and change her career. Surely she already has too much on her plate? Because her plates are skew-whiff and her balls are dropping off all over the place, Andrea points out. She needs to make changes. Still her fiancé, who has a hidden agenda, is dead-set against it.

When Andrea’s house burns mysteriously to the ground and Andrea and her entourage are forced to move in with the enigmatic Dr Adams, however, the village drums soon start beating, fuel aplenty when it turns out someone does know him—the woman carrying his baby.

About the Author:

Sheryl Browne grew up in Birmingham, UK, where she studied Art & Design. She wears many hats: a partner in her own business, a mother, and a foster parent to disabled dogs. Creative in spirit, Sheryl has always had a passion for writing. She has previously been published in the US and writes Rom Com because, as she puts it, “life is just too short to be miserable.” Sheryl is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. For more information, connect with Sheryl Browne on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SherylBrowne.Author) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/SherylBrowne) or visit her blog page at http://www.sherylbrowne.com/.

Learning to Love (ISBN: 9781908208835) will be available for purchase as an eBook worldwide on Amazon, Kobo, the Apple iStore and all other major retailers. For more information, please visit http://www.safkhetpublishing.com/

Visit the other blogs taking part in the Learning to Love promo blitz:

21^st July 2013

DizzyC’s Little Book Blog – www.dizzycslittlebookblog.blogspot.com

Brook Cottage Books – www.brookcottagebooks.blogspot.com

Patricia Sands – Everyone has a story

Mandy Baggot – www.mandybaggot.com

Shani Struthers – http://shanisite.wordpress.com/

Melanie Robertson-King – http://www.melanierobertson-king.com/wp02/

Angela Williams – http://chaoticbookcorner.blogspot.co.uk

22^nd July 2013

Wendy Chartier – http://theauthorandreaderspotlight.blogspot.co.uk/

Zanna Mackenzie – http://www.zannamackenzie.blogspot.co.uk/

Donna Trinder – http://donnasroomforreading.blogspot.co.uk/

Julia Hughes – http://www.wordspi.com/

Carol E Wyer- http://facing50withhumour.com/

Brook Cottage Books – http://brookcottagebooks.blogspot.com

Silvy Silvana – http://books-are-my-life-silvy.blogspot.com/

Joan Hill – www.romanticfiction.org

Heidi – https://cosmochicklitan.wordpress.com

Nikki Mahood – http://nikkimahood.wordpress.com/

Pauline Barclay – – http://paulinembarclay.blogspot.com/

You can buy Learning to Love at:

Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Learning-to-Love-ebook/dp/B00E1LPEVO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374330622&sr=8-1&keywords=learning+to+love+by+sheryl+browne

Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Learning-to-Love-ebook/dp/B00E1LPEVO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374330812&sr=8-1&keywords=learning+to+love+by+sheryl+browne

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/338538

4RV Publishing, Aberdeenshire, Authors, Book Launch, celebrations, characters, ebooks, Kindle, kobo, LAHE Lifestyle, nook, Novels, Online shopping, Publicity, Publishing, Scotland, Writing, YA fiction

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

July 13, 2013 Melanie 4 Comments

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.

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:

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

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

July 3, 2013 Melanie 14 Comments

Launch Countdown

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.

Isn’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…

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:

Books, Novels, work-in-progress, Writing, writing style

I Write Like…

June 29, 2013 Melanie 2 Comments

I Write Like…

I would have never thought it but, according to the sample I copied and pasted from my work in progress, Shadows from her Past, I write like… are you ready for it?

I write like

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like.
Analyze your writing!

I wonder, if I were to take a sample from my published debut novel, A Shadow in the Past, if the same result would occur? Hmm… maybe I’ll try that some time.

Who do you write like? Why not try this and see? You can find out by clicking on Analyze your writing in the box above or by clicking here.

I’d love to see whose prose your writing style emulates, so why not give it a go then leave a comment telling the results of your writing analysis.

Authors, Books, Novels, Writing

Words – how do you cope when they won’t come?

June 23, 2013 Melanie 8 Comments

Words, Wonderful Words

frustrated writer

As a writer, you want the words you choose to remain true to your voice. How do you manage when your carefully planned scene loses the impact your wanted to portray doesn’t come across because your brain can’t relate it to your fingers? You write WORDS but they’re not the ones you envisioned using and they don’t flow smoothly. Your writing is choppy and disjointed – kinda like mine is right now.

Do you:

Read over the last of what you worked on the previous day to get reacquainted with your characters and setting?
Throw your hands up in frustration and stomp around the room?
Bash your head against the wall or surface of your computer desk?
Take long cleansing breaths and go off and do something else to clear your mind – like take the dog for a walk (assuming you have a dog to walk), go for a walk by yourself?

Does listening to music help you when you’re struggling to find the right words? Or do you prefer complete silence.

Depending on where I’m working, my writer’s toolbox includes a dictionary and thesaurus. But if I’m working on my laptop and space is at premium (outside in a lawn chair comes to mind), while I still refer to both of the aforementioned books, I tend to use online versions instead. These are my favourites.

Dictionary.com
and
Thesaurus.com

I’m just back from doing Option #4 (sans dog much to his chagrin) so we’ll see if that had any impact.

Do you have any tricks that work for you when you’re struggling with your writing?

4RV Publishing, Aberdeenshire, Appearances, Authors, Books, ebooks, Local Authors, Novel covers, Novels, Publicity, Publishing, readers, Reading, Scotland, YA fiction

Yesterday’s Craft Sale in Mallorytown

June 23, 2013 Melanie 4 Comments

Mallorytown Legion Craft Sale

Yesterday’s Craft Sale at the Mallorytown Legion was well attended but not as busy as the one I took part in last November. Still, it was a good turnout to say there were quite a few other things going on in the village competing for attention.

Mallorytown_June 22

I sold and signed three copies of A Shadow in the Past within the first hour and a half. Afterwards things died down but even though I didn’t sell anymore copies directly, the prospect of a sale from the bookstore in Kingston, A Novel Idea, where I have copies for sale, exists.

The idea that my book was now available as an e-book appealed to a number of people. One woman, who knew her daughter would love my book said she would let her know. Her daughter lives in Australia…

a shadow in the past cover 500x773 Blurb:

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

If you would prefer to buy A Shadow in the Past in e-book format, you can order it from amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobobooks and the iBookstore.

Do you prefer e-books or physical books?

4RV Publishing, Aberdeenshire, Appearances, Authors, Books, ebooks, Local Authors, Novel covers, Novels, Publicity, Publishing, readers, Reading, Scotland, YA fiction

Craft Sale in Mallorytown on June 22, 2013

June 22, 2013 Melanie Leave a comment

Mallorytown Legion Craft Sale

Today at the Mallorytown Legion from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, there will be a craft sale. Loads of vendors and goodies to choose from. So, if you’re close by to the village, drop by. The legion is on the east side of Quabbin Road opposite Peryl Road.

I’ll be there selling and signing copies of my debut novel, A Shadow in the Past.

a shadow in the past cover 500x773 Blurb:

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

If you would prefer an e-book to a paperback, you can order A Shadow in the Past in that format from amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobobooks and the iBookstore.

Do you prefer e-books or physical books?