Category Archives: celebrations

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:

Brockville, Canada Day, Canadian Flag, celebrations, fireworks

Canada Day 2013!

July 1, 2013 Melanie Leave a comment

Happy Canada Day!

This year’s Canada Day celebrations in my hometown will be more special than in years gone by. This year, the Canadian flag celebrates it’s 50th year, but perhaps even more special, it was born here in Brockville.

Our local newspaper, The Recorder and Times, featured an article on the subject and the huge flag and dedication ceremony that will take place at 3:00 pm today. You can read the article here.

As in previous years, the day will end with a fireworks display.

Where do you live in Canada? How will you celebrate the day?

celebrations, Family, Father's Day

Happy Father’s Day!

June 16, 2013 Melanie 7 Comments

Father’s Day – how do you honour your father?

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers out there! How do you spend the day? What does Father’s Day mean to you?

My father was one of the 7,000 children sent out to Canada through the Orphan Homes of Scotland between 1861 and 1938.

Although he was born in Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire,

View Larger Map
Dad was raised at the village homes near Bridge of Weir, approximately 15 miles west of Glasgow.

View Larger MapThe name Orphan Homes of Scotland implies the children who went there were orphans. That wasn’t always the case. My father wasn’t an orphan. He was one of ten children and after his mother died when he was just two years old, his father had a stroke and couldn’t look after the family.

Grandpa Robertson was married twice. The children from his first marriage helped out as best they could, but in the end, my father and four of his siblings (all from the second marriage) who were sent off to the Orphan Homes of Scotland.

Cottage 1 Quarriers Village - Broadfield Home — My father and his brothers, George and Andy, stayed here in Broadfield Home (Cottage 1).

Because there was no such thing as co-ed living, sisters couldn’t stay in the same house as their brothers. Brothers couldn’t even visit their sisters without the housemother’s consent and only for a short time.

Cottage 13 - Quarriers Village — My father’s sisters, Barbara and Christina, stayed here in Leven Home (Cottage 13).

After my father came to Canada, he worked on a number of farms in the Brockville area and enlisted with the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders during World War II.

photo of my father — Robert A Robertson 1913-1969

Phillips Cables (sadly now the property is just an empty lot) provided him with employment from the time my father returned from the war and while he worked there, he met my mother.

robert and ruth's wedding 1950 — My parents’ wedding – July 22, 1950

Sadly, I lost my Dad on April 29, 1969 as the result of a workplace injury. He may not be with me anymore but he lives on in my heart.

Awards, Bloggers, celebrations, Famous Five Plus, LAHE Lifestyle, loveahappyending

I’ve received the Sunshine Award!

April 17, 2013 Melanie 6 Comments

sunshine-award

This award couldn’t have come at a better time after yesterday. If you read my blog post from then, you’ll see what I mean.

So, I have to answer a few random questions, then nominate twelve blogs that I love to visit. Easy-peasy, right? Well, maybe not quite.

Okay the random questions and answers:

Favorite Color: Blue – light, blue, dark blue, royal blue, navy blue, sky blue…
Favorite Animal: Horse. They are so beautiful but since my dog will likely get his nose out of joint and eat one of my big stuffed animals in revenge, I best nominate him – Jake – aka the Jakemeister.
Favorite Number: I don’t think I have one but since I have to choose I would say 7 since it was on the 7th of June that my hubby and I were married.
Favorite Non-alcoholic Drink: Coffee.
Facebook or Twitter: I’m not the most creative with 140 characters so I would have to say Facebook, but even that changes everytime someone sneezes it seems.
Your Passion: Scotland and my Scottish heritage. Get me on that subject and you’ll never get me off it.
Giving or getting presents: I like to get but it’s more fun and rewarding to see the look on someone’s face when they open a gift that you’ve carefully chosen for that person.
Favorite Day: Since I work Monday to Friday, my choice would be Saturday. It’s the first morning that the alarm clock doesn’t go off before six o’clock. Mind you, the aforementioned dog usually scratches on the bedroom door about the same time. He doesn’t believe in lie-ins. Drat!
Favorite Flowers: Lilacs. I love the smell and have a number of bushes in my back yard.

And now I nominate 12 author bloggers whom I love to visit:

Suzy Turner http://suzyturner.blogspot.com
Ali Bacon http://alibacon.com/blog
Carol E Wyer http://facing50withhumour.com
Brian Henry (Quick Brown Fox) http://quick-brown-fox-canada.blogspot.com
Mandy Baggot http://www.mandybaggot.com/apps/blog
Lou Graham http://lougrahamiiblog.wordpress.com
Jo Lambert http://jolambertwriter.wordpress.com
Susan Livingston http://lotsocats100-fascinatingbooks.blogspot.com
Kathryn Brown http://crystaljigsaw.blogspot.com
Michelle Betham http://michellebethamwriter.blogspot.com
Jontybabe http://jontybabe.blogspot.com
Carol Wright http://dizzycslittlebookblog.blogspot.com

celebrations, Guinness, Ireland, St Patrick's Day

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

March 17, 2013 Melanie 6 Comments

leprechaun

Aye, the luck o’ the Irish… who else could find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Certainly not this girl. But shamrocks and leprechauns are part of the Irish folklore and tradition.

And the movie Waking Ned Devine takes place in Ireland. Only in the movies could that convoluted a plan to claim the lottery winnings happen. My favourite part of the movie (apart from watching Jackie and Michael tearing around the countryside on a motorcycle in their birthday suits) was the beautiful scenery of the country.

I’ve schmoozed with Royalty having met Princess Anne but we never had the opportunity to chat about our favourite tipple – mostly our families and my connection to the place where we met. However, I do have one thing in common with President Obama and the First Lady – Guinness! Although, I find it doesn’t taste as good here as there. Maybe because it’s too chilled in my part of the world? Dunno.