It’s Tell a Fairy Tale Day

Today is…

Tell A Fairy Tale Day!

Never heard of it before? Well, you can read more about it here. The stories can cover everything from Grimm to urban legends.

Scottish legends, myths, and mystery are found in A Shadow in the Past, so what better time to celebrate it?

A-Shadow-in-the-Past-by-Melanie-Robertson-King
My novel’s cover created by Aidana WillowRaven

Even the cover exudes fairytale mystery. Once upon a time…

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.

Suggested tweets:

Tell a Fairy Tale Day! @RobertsoKing’s novel is full of Scottish myths, mystery & romance http://wp.me/p2NmRa-1ln #tellafairytaleday #lahe

Tell a Fairy Tale Day! @RobertsoKing’s novel is full of Scottish myths, mystery & romance http://wp.me/p2NmRa-1ln #tellafairytaleday #FFP

Scottish myths, mysteries & romance @RobertsoKing’s novel has it all! http://wp.me/p2NmRa-1ln #tellafairytaleday #shadowpast #lahe #readers

Scottish myths, mysteries & romance @RobertsoKing’s novel has it all! http://wp.me/p2NmRa-1ln #tellafairytaleday #shadowpast #FFP #readers

If you have a favourite fairy tale, leave a comment telling which one it is.

 

 

 

 

What have you done this past week?

I’ve been rather quiet here at Celtic Connexions since posting about going to my first live curling event.

If you follow the Goodreads widgets on my sidebar, you’ll see I’ve spent a lot of time in this young year with my face stuck in books. Crime fiction, short stories, YA, and true crime. And I’ve currently got my face stuck in another book of crime fiction.

Yeah, I know, if I’m doing all this reading, I’m not getting any writing done. You’re right, but in order to be a good writer, one has to read and read lots.

The crime fiction I’ve read and am reading could almost be classed as research. I can see you shaking your heads and wondering if I’ve gone completely doolally. Well, peeps, I haven’t. You see, the authors of this genre I’ve been reading are both Scottish authors – Ian Rankin and Stuart MacBride.

By Kyzer (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
While reading about places in Scotland isn’t quite the same as being there, I have been to Edinburgh where Ian sets his novels

By Ragazzi00 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
and Aberdeen, the home of Stuart’s. Reading their books brings the sights, sounds and smells back to me. And I’ve discovered a few things along the way that I didn’t know before. See why I say my reading could almost be classed as research?

What will the next book on my TBR pile to move onto my currently reading list? Any suggestions?

What authors/genres do you like to read? Leave a comment and tell me.

Hurry! Hard! My first live curling event…

And no, I wasn’t playing. Good thing… LOL!

Five pairs of tickets found their way to work for the opening weekend draws of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian Women’s Curling Championships and were up for grabs on a first come first serve basis. Hubby and I love to watch the curling on the television and had discussed going this year to at least one draw since it was being held at the K-Rock Centre in nearby Kingston. I wasted no time getting my name in the “hat” for a pair and chose two tickets for the opening draw at 2:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon.

ice preparation after hotshots contest
ice prep after hotshots contest

We found out later when we went for supper that the opening ceremonies took place earlier in the day and not immediately before the opening draw. Still, watching the players being piped in to the rink was pretty cool.

players being piped in
players being piped in

After the pomp and circumstance followed by the national anthem, the teams got in a little pre-draw practice.

pre-draw practice
pre-draw practice

The granite used to make the curling stones comes from a quarry on the island of Ailsa Craig off the west coast of Scotland, south of the Isle of Arran and west of Girvan,

Colin McDonald [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

and from the north quarry.

Richard Webb [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Our seats were in the corner closest to the media and the television booth which meant all the even ends were played in front of us. It’s so different trying to keep watch on four sheets of ice rather than just the feature game on television. Still loads of fun.

all four sheets in play
all four sheets in play
and then there were two
and then there were two

The television game was on the sheet closest to us – Team Canada (the 2012 winner) vs New Brunswick and while it looked for quite a while, it would be one of the first ones finished but in the end was the last.

and then there was one
and then there was one

And in case you REALLY want to know how curling stones are made, here’s a video clip from the television program HOW IT’S MADE.

And if the World Curling Championships come to the K-Rock Centre in Kingston, will I be there? You betcha!

Are you a curling fan?

Long and Short Reviews + Giveaway!

NEW I was interviewed by LASR

Today, I’m featured over at Long and Short Reviews talking about my novel A Shadow in the Past among other authorly/bookish things.

a shadow in the past cover 500x773There is also a GIVEAWAY at LASR for a copy of A Shadow in the Past.

Leave a comment for your chance to win! The giveaway is open to Canada and US residents only.

Suggested tweet:

Long & Short Reviews + Giveaway ~ talking with author @RobertsoKing http://tinyurl.com/aws7eck @4RV #Shadowpast  #YACrossover

 

 

 

Leeds County Books signing – recap and photos

My book signing for A Shadow in the Past at Leeds County Books on Saturday, Feb 9th didn’t come to be until earlier last week. I was forewarned that Saturdays in the winter in the downtown are dead but I was determined to do it. Sometimes, I’m too stubborn for my own good but in this case it paid off.

I publicized it on my Facebook pages, in the groups I belong to on Facebook, set up an event there (as did the bookstore), followed by an email campaign to catch the people I know that aren’t on social media. But I didn’t stop there, I posted the event on my blog, Snap Brockville, BNTVNews (with the help of Dale Elliott), TV Cogeco, and Courtney, owner of Leeds County Books, got my signing up at Recorder.ca (our local newspaper’s online presence). I even did up posters and had them put up in a few locations around town.

Until I became a published author, I never really thought of myself as the entrepreneurial type. But, when needs must, we do what we have to do. My marketing strategy was take advantage of Valentine’s Day coming up. Romance and intrigue set in Scotland? Who could resist?

leeds-county-books-feb-9-2013
My table set-up in the bookstore.

You’ll see one of my laminated posters on the table. My novel’s cover image, blurb, and quotes from readers are there for everyone to see. And a coffee cup with a big red heart filled with Hershey’s Kisses. There were even some A Shadow in the Past bookmarks and postcards! How about that tartan table cover? What better accent for a book set in Scotland than tartan?

leeds-county-books-feb-9-2013-2
Decked out in red as part of the Valentine’s Day look, looking very pleased with myself when I was down to the last book.

In the end, I sold three copies of my novel, A Shadow in the Past, leaving the bookstore down to their last copy. However, I had taken a box of books with me (as a contingency plan) so I left a further ten copies with them.

The icing on the cake was when I was leaving the grocery store with my hubby and we stopped at the floral department (he bought me roses) and during the course of the conversation with the gal (I’ve known her for years), I sold another copy of my book!

How was that for an unexpected result?

I’m blogging at Savvy Authors Today…

Today I’m blogging over at Savvy Authors talking about research. I know, I know, I hear the groans. But for authenticity and to keep your readers wanting more, you have to keep them in the story and make sure, even though your work is fictional, it’s true to the time and any facts you might have woven in are accurate.

But what happens when you can’t find the answers you need? Pop on over to Savvy Authors and find some unusual (or not so unusual) places to get the information you need.

What’s your best place for research and finding the answers to those pesky questions you so desparately need answered?

Today is Read in the Bathtub Day!

And what better way to celebrate it than to pop in to my book signing and get your own copy of A Shadow in the Past at Leeds County Books, 73 King Street West, Brockville, ON.

View Larger Map

By Bruno Cordioli from Milano, Italy [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
a shadow in the past cover 500x773A 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.

So why not buy yourself a book (preferably mine), run a bubble bath and pour yourself a glass of wine (or your tipple of choice) and escape for some self-indulgence.

Do you read in the bathtub?

 

BOOK SIGNING – FEBRUARY 9TH AT LEEDS COUNTY BOOKS

heartsJust in time for Valentine’s Day! I’ll be at Leeds County Books, 73 King Street West, Brockville, ON from 1:00-3:00 pm on Saturday February 9th signing copies of my debut novel – A Shadow in the Past.

Haven’t found the perfect gift yet? Give your Valentine romance and intrigue set in Scotland…

a shadow in the past cover 500x773Nineteen-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.

Readers are saying:

I loved this Scottish time-slip novel. A great story expertly told.

Ms. Robertson-King has a gift for capturing dialogue that is familiar to today’s audience while remaining true to historical details that enrich her stories.

Great book and a very pro-active publisher!

A Shadow in the Past is a period drama/time travel combined with romance. The author’s research into life in Victorian Scotland, alongside her study of the horrors of being incarcerated in an asylum, is exceptional. The book is a must-read for me.

A Shadow of the Past brought a unique new voice to time travel.

A Shadow in the Past is an amazing story and the way author has described it, it’s really fantastic. When you read the book, you feel as if all this is happening right in front of you!

Fabulous book! A lovely adventure full of surprises!

Awesome book can’t wait for the sequel.

Awesome Book!

Fantastic book set in my home country. Well written and easy to follow and read.

Outlander for Young Adults.

And what a great story developed.

A charming time-slip love story with vivid description and authenticity throughout!

A great first novel and I will look forward to reading more books by Melanie Robertson-King in the future.

If you’re not in the area, don’t despair. You can order A Shadow in the Past from the following:

4RV Publishing: http://4rvpublishingcatalog.yolasite.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

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

Today I welcome fellow 4RV Publishing author, Janet K Brown to my blog. Janet’s debut novel, Victoria and the Ghost made its first appearance at the Kansas Book Festival last September along with mine and a second novel by our “sister” author, Galand Nuchols.

Welcome to Celtic Connexions, Janet. It’s great having you here today. Enough of the preamble, I’m going to cut right to the chase. I’ve been dying to ask this question since your cover was revealed last summer.

victoria and the ghost coverDo you believe in ghosts? And is that why you wrote Victoria and the Ghost?

I don’t believe in séances, witches, or trying to communicate with the dead. What I do believe: the Almighty God of the Bible invented the supernatural (as we humans think of ghosts). We can’t understand angels, impossible or invisible beings, or any of the mysteries of the universe that God created.

On the other hand, if God sees a young woman like Victoria who needs and asks for His help, He can use any means at His disposal. Even a ghost.

I post about “Are ghosts real.” Find it in the archives on Wed., April 4, 2012 on my site: http://www.janetkbrown.com.

At fifteen, Victoria, a city girl, loses her mother’s love and copes with country isolation, no friends, and no one who cares, until she meets a ghost.

When her mother leaves the family to become a Dallas trophy wife, Victoria’s dad moves her and her sister to a North Texas farm to herd cattle and raise chickens. Refusing to believe this is more than a temporary set-back, Victoria tries to make new friends which isn’t an easy task. The first one stabs her in the back with gossip and a sharp tongue. Meanwhile, her new stepsister takes Victoria’s place in her mother’s heart. Rejection and anger stalk Victoria like a rattlesnake in the cemetery. Good thing she makes friends with a ghost and through him, a good-looking teenaged cowboy.

Is Victoria and the Ghost your first novel?

In 2005, when I started studying the writing craft and trying my hand at finishing a novel and submitting it to editors and/or agents, my policy was if one was rejected, I started another one. Therefore, I have completed seven novels and am 2/3 through with my eighth.

Victoria and the Ghost was the first one I sold. I will always be thankful to Vivian Zabel and those at 4RV Publishing for taking a chance on a new author like me. Victoria and the Ghost is my only YA, but my work in progress now is the sequel.

My sentiments, too, Janet, not to mention my work in “lack of progress” is the sequel to my novel.

How did you find your publisher?

When I attended my usual Romance Writers of America chapter here in Wichita Falls, Texas, the year of 2010, two of the members, one from Altus, Oklahoma and one from Durant, Okla. told us about the organization of OWFI (Oklahoma Writers Federated International). They explained the wonderful conference they do each year in May in Oklahoma City. Since I live two hours away, a writer friend and I registered for the next conference.

I attended in May, 2011 for my first time. I carried with me a proposal for Victoria and the Ghost and made an editor appointment with Vivian Zabel. I met her at breakfast the first morning and found her delightful. When I heard her name mentioned, I told her I had an appointment later with her. She listened to my pitch at the designated time, showed interest, and requested I send her the full manuscript.

I sent it and received a contract my e-mail shortly afterward. I spent the next week dancing all over my house and calling or contacting online everyone I knew to share my excitement.

Your experience with Vivian sounds similar to mine, except I pitched to her at the MuseItUp online conference.

Have you written anything else?

I’ve written short stories for both teens and adults for several years selling most of them to Sunday school take-home papers, but others to magazines or newsletters. I continue to do that. I contract with one publishing company to write thirteen stories at a time. That helps the old cash-flow. Ha!

My completed novels are romance or women’s fiction. One is a coming-of-age romance. They are in various stages of editing or submitting.

I’m glad to hear that you’ve not given up totally on your other completed novels. It’s all a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

On December 6, 2012, Pen-L Publishing released my one and only non-fiction book titled Divine Dining: 365 Devotions to Guide You to Healthier Weight and Abundant Wellness. Since I struggled for years with compulsive overeating, this book came from old journals and memories, so it is a book close to my heart.

Are you working on any other projects that you can tell us about?

I’m 2/3 through with a sequel to Victoria and the Ghost. For those who read that one, they will remember Victoria’s irritating friend/enemy, red-headed Shelley. This will be her story of a country girl who must move to the city without friends or horses.

Her father gets a job of cleaning an old courthouse. When he fights alcoholism, Shelley covers for him by doing his job. I explore the ghost legend at the old courthouse of McKinney, Texas. My working title for the manuscript is A Ghost for Shelley.

I plan on once again attending the OWFI conference and pitching it to Vivian Zabel. I can only keep my fingers crossed.

Purchase links for Victoria and the Ghost

http://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/janet-brown.php

http://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Ghost-Janet-K-Brown/dp/0983801878/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=

Thank you for your kind welcome, today, Melanie.

It’s been my pleasure, Janet. Our writing journeys have paralleled each other’s in a number of ways.

About Janet…

Janet BrownJanet K. Brown lives in Wichita Falls, Texas with her husband, Charles. She began writing while her three daughters were kids but did not study the craft or submit her work until she retired in October, 2005. Writing became a second career.

4RV Publishing released Janet’s debut novel, an inspirational young adult, Victoria and the Ghost, July, 2012.

She studies her three grandchildren for help with teen expressions and actions.

Pen-L Publishing released Janet’s non-fiction book, Divine Dining Dec. 3, 2012. It’s a 365 devotion book to Guide You to Healthier Weight and Abundant Wellness.

Janet belongs to such writing groups as ACFW, OWFI, CWFI, and RWA and continues to write short stories for teens and adults.

She and her husband love to travel with their RV, visit with family, and work in their church.

Contact Janet at:

Website:
E-mail:
janet.hope@att.net
Facebook: Janet K Brown Author
Twitter: @janetkbrowntx

You’ve heard Janet’s take on ghosts. Do you believe in ghosts?