Don’t forget the 3rd Annual Christmas Bazaar & Bake Sale on Sunday, November 18th at the Mallorytown Legion.
If you’re looking for that special Christmas gift, there will be plenty of items to choose from.
I’ll be there signing and selling my debut novel, A Shadow in the Past, a book suitable for the YA reader in your family. So why not Give the Gift of Reading this holiday season?
The Legion is located on Quabbin Road (County Road 4) in the village of Mallorytown, Ontario.
I’m pleased with the results of tonight’s foray into the unknown realm of Ladies Night. Invited by the owner of Green Things Garden, Gift and Maintenance Services – Donna White – to come and sign my book, I arrived about 5:30 p.m. to get myself set up.
Business in the retail store, all decked out in its Christmas finery, was brisk and my book and I attracted a lot of attention. But best of all, by 8:45 p.m., I had sold… drum roll, please… six copies!
If you missed me tonight, I’ll be at the Mallorytown Legion on Sunday, November 18th, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. signing copies of my novel, A Shadow in the Past.
Will I do Ladies Night again next year? YES! And maybe by this time next year, I’ll have two books out there to sell. Guess that means I best get my skates on and get book #2 submission ready.
Tomorrow night, Friday, November 16th, I’ll be taking part in the 21st Annual Ladies Night.
Brockville and area businesses open Friday night until 10:00 p.m. with tax free savings.
I’ll be signing and selling my novel, A Shadow in the Past, at Green Things Garden, Gift & Maintenance Services from 6:00-10:00. I hope to see you there.
And be sure to visit all five stores to enter the draw for the Grand Prize!
There will be door prizes and refreshments at the various locations throughout the evening.
The third annual event takes place on Sunday, November 18th, from 8:00 a.m. through to 3:00 p.m.
I’ll be there selling copies of my debut novel, A Shadow in the Past, in addition to the other vendors who will have their wares available to purchase, too.
And don’t forget all those delectable baked goods that are only available during the festive season.
The pumpkins are carved and the candles are lit. Maybe tonight will be a good time to re-cant my spell from my Scottish author friend, Janice Horton’s recent Spellbindingly Fun Blog Party. It’s a good spell, not a bad one, as in keeping with her #voodoo blog party rules.
So here’s my spell to make my novel a best-seller…
I call upon you, Northern Lights Take this parchment paper bright Wrap my novel in it tight Tie with a sprig of Scottish heather Anoint it with haggis scented oil Which represents the extent of my toil Lay upon it a silver spoon Powers of which make me swoon Glowing moon stone, oh so stellar Make my novel a best-seller.
And in keeping with true House of King tradition, the skeletons (including a new one), the flying bat, the headstones, are at the ready. And I’ll be sporting my witch’s wig and this year’s addition to the costume – a long, black cape. Will post pictures once everything is set up.
By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes… cackle, cackle, cackle…
So will you go out trick or treating – or guising as I’ve seen it referred to in Scotland? Any special Halloween traditions you uphold? I’d love to hear about them. Leave a comment and tell me what things you do to make Halloween fun for the little ones.
I sound like the jolly old man in the red suit but I’m not talking about Christmas. I’m talking about preparations for my trip to Kansas for the debut of my novel, A Shadow in the Past, on September 15 – things to take, things to do before I leave. Most importantly passport and plane tickets, clothing (for the event and the rest of the weekend and sleepware), medications, glasses and cleaner for same, promotional stuff (business cards, postcards and bookmarks), pens to sign books, extra bag to bring books home in, followed by camera, iPad, iPad card reader, extra batteries and charger, mobile phone and charger for it. With the phone… must turn off a lot of e-mail notifications and remember to turn the beast off before I get on the plane or will get zapped with exorbitant roaming charges (maybe even go so far as to delete the Facebook and Twitter apps temporarily) to really ensure there’s not a lot of stuff happening. Phone on in the morning, then off until later in the evening. And the hotel has free wi-fi for guests so I could get along without the phone entirely since I can login to my webmail using my iPad when I’m there.
Then there’s my launch in Brockville the following Saturday which means charge my DVD recorder, format a DVD, get my book cover poster mounted, make sure my camera battery is in a fit state, decide what to wear because I don’t want to wear the same thing as I did in Kansas (I mean I can’t have people thinking I only have one outfit).
Oh, and then there is my fifteen day, twenty-one stop blog tour that starts on September 28. Have I sent my posts, author info, cover and author images, and where to buy links back to mine hosts and hostesses? I think so but must touch base with everyone to make sure. So I hope they understand my scattered-brainedness when I e-mail them AGAIN to ensure they have everything they need for my date with them.
I’m thrilled to be in this position and have dreamt about it for such a long time. My brain might be on overload right now but I’m loving every minute of it.
Do you have any Valentine’s Day traditions? Will you give or receive flowers, chocolates or other candy? Are you in the early stage of your relationship like the “young love” couple below?
Or are you in the “lasting love” stage like these folks?
Our Burns Supper, like usual, is far from the traditional version. Yes, we have haggis, champit tatties and bash-ed neeps and whisky but that’s where the similarities end. We don’t toast his immortal memory, no toast to the lads or lassies.
We do, however, have someone recite at least a portion of Address to a Haggis. This year was my turn to do the honours. So in my best Scottish accent, I muddled my way through. It was a good thing I had printed it out beforehand. My husband was the ‘official’ photographer and he managed to get a few pictures of us before we got too ‘fu’.
The "Guest of Honour" We were five for dinner – my husband, son, grandson, girlfriend and me and enough food for an army. Well, at least enough that I don’t have to cook tonight. Lots of leftovers.
Our wee haggis, aka “guest of honour” was a tiny wee thing – probably about the size of a hardball used in major league baseball, if not a bit smaller. Well, I cut him up with ready slight, and as I finished reading Burns’ Address to the Haggis, poured a wee bit of The Glenlivet over him. Yum!
Despite the fact none of us wore any tartan, in addition to the food, there was a Scottish flair to the evening. Tartan napkins, my good tartan China, and my Clan Robertson placemats and coasters.
Before the end of the evening, bottles of Oban and Glenmorangie, joined in the festivities, but they didn’t stay long. It was The Glenlivet who was still around at the end when we decided to call it a night around midnight.
My Scottish roots and writing by Melanie Robertson-King
Don’t forget the 3rd Annual Christmas Bazaar & Bake Sale on Sunday, November 18th at the Mallorytown Legion.
