Magic Spells brought to you by The Friends of the Prescott Library
Prescott, ON Canada
I’ll be reading from my debut novel A Shadow in the Past at 2:40 pm.
At the time of writing this blog post, the sun is shining, there’s plenty of blue sky but the weather network is forecasting rain and cooler temperatures.
The Kinsmen Amphitheater
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
corner of Centre and Dibble Streets
Regardless of where we entertain from, I hope to see you at the event!
This promises to be a great event. I’m included in the lineup of authors taking part. We’ll be reading from our works and at the end of the afternoon (and maybe a short break in the middle), folks in attendance will have the opportunity to chat with us and buy our books.
The waterfront where the amphitheater is located is a beautiful setting so we can hope for good weather for the afternoon of June 28th. An indoor venue at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church at the corner of Centre and Dibble Streets is our alternate venue should Mother Nature decide to frown upon us.
Hope to see you here!
March is shaping up to be another busy month here at Celtic Connexions. Be sure to mark your calendars so you don’t miss a single thing. There are Book Tours, author interviews, a St Patrick’s Day party and more!
March 1st – The monthly calendar for the month of March
March 7th – A Spell in Provence by Marie Laval
March 11th – Brady’s Lost Blanket, a children’s book, by fellow 4RV Publishing author, Stephanie Burkhart
March 14th – Interview with Rosemary Gemmell, Scottish author of The Highland Lass (and more)
March 17th – Online St Patrick’s Day party with “virtual” Irish food, drink and traditions along with an interview with Irish author, Sharon Black
March 21st – Interview with Linda Gillard, Scottish author of Cauldstane (and more)
March 25th – A Matter of Temperance by Ichabod Temperance
March 31st – Introduction to April’s #AtoZChallenge month. You’ll find out what the challenge is all about and what I’ll be blogging about throughout the month of April.
I’m always happy to host fellow authors for interviews, cover reveals, or book launch parties.
If you’d like to be a guest here at Celtic Connexions, you can contact me at Celtic Connexions.
Today is Book Lovers Day! It always falls on the first Saturday in November and this year coincidentally falls on the 1st.
Books, I love them all. Hard cover, paperback (trade or mass market) or ebook (kindle or epub format) I just love books! And then there are the genres – crime, romance, chicklit, memoirs, science fiction, fantasy. Perhaps I should preface the rest of this post with…
“My name is Melanie and I’m a bookaholic.”
Recently there was a meme making the rounds on Facebook wanting to know the ten books that have stuck with you. Some of these were secondary school reading, others just because I wanted to, and some I’ve read more than once.
The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
1984 – George Orwell
A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare
Halloween Party – Agatha Christie
The Exorcist – William Peter Blatty
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
Of Mice and Men – John Steinbech
Farenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
Dracula – Bram Stoker
Can a person ever have too many books? I think not. As I was creating the hyperlinks for the books on my list, I even scored three FREE ones!
Perhaps I’m in need of an intervention?
Blurb:
When rock star Jude gets stranded in New York with his family on Christmas Eve, he has no idea that he is setting in motion a chain of events that will turn their Christmas into the most magical one yet…
No good deed goes unpunished, or so it seems to Jude and Carrie on the morning of the twenty-fourth of December. The previous day, they gave up their London-bound flights to someone in crisis. And now, a spectacular whiteout is grounding all planes, and Jude, Carrie, and baby Maya are stuck far from home.
Tired, hungry, and just a little panicked, Jude loads his family into a cab and returns to their hotel. But there’s no room at the inn, and not even a platinum credit card will make a difference. Snow is falling heavily, and the family is facing a very bleak night indeed.
How do you celebrate Christmas with no place to stay, no food, and no presents? Join Jude, Carrie, Maya and a cast of colourful characters in this fairy tale story of Yuletide in New York.
Excerpt:
‘I can’t believe it’s all over. Where did three weeks go?’
Carrie smiled at Jude while shifting their baby daughter, Maya, onto her other hip. The check-in queue at JFK airport had ground to a complete standstill, and Carrie was beginning to struggle with her six-month-old’s weight. Unperturbed, Maya gurgled happily and snuggled her head onto Carrie’s shoulder.
‘She’s half asleep again,’ Jude commented and stroked his daughter’s rosy cheeks. He planted a quick kiss on Carrie’s forehead before responding to her question.
‘It’s crazy, isn’t it? Three weeks on tour all over the US, and suddenly it’s done. Seventeen gigs in twenty-one days. My God, I’m not half knackered.’
‘It was worth it, though. You were a runaway success.’ Carrie grinned with proprietorial pride at her rock star boyfriend. ‘They loved you.’
Jude chuckled. ‘They did, too, didn’t they? Gosh, San Francisco was a riot. I thought they’d take the stage down.’
‘I’ve never seen so much underwear flying your way. You’re gonna have to watch it, mate, or your girlfriend might get the wrong idea,’ Carrie teased.
‘Oh no, she won’t. She knows I love her.’
Jude looked Carrie deep in the eyes. He hoped she knew how much he loved her. One of these days, he ought to make an honest woman out of her. He had planned to, of course. He even had a ring. But what with Carrie having fallen pregnant, she hadn’t wanted to get married before the baby was born. ‘I don’t want to waddle down the aisle,’ she had joked when they had talked about it almost a year ago now. ‘I want to float, serenely.’
Add the band’s recording deal and the UK and European tours into the mix of their crazy life, and there hadn’t been the right time. There hadn’t been any time. They had just about managed to furnish a nursery for Maya, but that had been it on the family front.
New Year’s Eve, Jude resolved silently. I’ll propose to her then, and we’ll marry in the summer.
He snapped to abruptly when he realised Carrie was still talking.
‘I think Dan was a little put out at not getting quite so much attention himself after you gave up the stage,’ she was saying.
Dan was the mentor, manager, and record label owner behind Jude’s band, The Blood Roses, and also the lead singer of his own band, Tuscq. He was now on his way to Toronto for a special Christmas Eve show.
‘Dan was fine. He’s thrilled that it’s going so well for us. And I am looking forward to a lovely quiet Christmas at home, just me and my girls.’
Jude wrapped Carrie and the now sleeping Maya into a hug. The Blood Roses weren’t opening for Tuscq for the Toronto gig and had therefore gone their separate ways. Jude and Carrie elected to go back to London straightaway, but the rest of the band had added a short trip to Las Vegas to their itinerary.
‘Home. Ha. If we ever get there,’ Carrie grumbled. She yawned widely. It was only five-thirty a.m. Their flight to London Heathrow was due to leave in a little over two hours, but the queue hadn’t advanced for at least fifteen minutes. ‘Here, can you hold Maya a minute? She’s getting rather heavy.’
Jude took the baby out of Carrie’s arms and rocked her contentedly. He hadn’t expected to become so utterly bewitched by a toothless, hairless, and demanding little being.
Quite suddenly, the distant babble of voices that had been permeating his consciousness rose to a shouted exchange. Jude turned towards the front of the queue, curious to see what the commotion might be.
‘I really, really need to get on this flight,’ a harassed-looking man in an expensive suit reiterated. He wiped his brow with a monogrammed white handkerchief and tapped his fingers on the counter impatiently. Jude couldn’t help but eavesdrop along with the rest of the terminal.
‘Look,’ the man continued, adopting a more reasonable tone. ‘I know I’m not booked on this flight. But tomorrow is too late for me. I’m willing to pay anything at all to get a seat, any class. First class, cattle class, I really don’t care. I need to get home.’
My Review:
Homeless for Christmas. Of all times of the year, it has to be the worst. Jude, Carrie and baby Maya find themselves stranded in New York City over Christmas when a snow storm closes JFK Airport.
I’ve enjoyed all of Nicky’s books and this one is no exception. Having never been to New York City and only seen it in movies, her narrative brings the city to life under the cover of magical, Christmas snow. Nicky’s writing is strong, and makes you want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens to this family.
Heartwarming~even the most miserly curmudgeon will enjoy this Christmas novella.
A 5-star read!
About Nicky Wells: Romance that Rocks Your World!
Ultimate rock chick author Nicky Wells writes romance with rock stars—because there’s no better romantic hero than a golden-voiced bad boy with a secret soft heart and a magical stage presence!
Nicky’s books offer glitzy, glamorous romance with rock stars—imagine Bridget Jones ROCKS Notting Hill! If you’ve ever had a crush on any kind of celebrity, you’ll connect with Nicky’s heroes and their leading ladies.
Born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993 and currently lives in Lincoln with her husband and their two boys. Nicky loves listening to rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters. When she’s not writing, she’s a wife, mother, occasional knitter, and regular contributor at Siren 107.3 FM with her own monthly show. Rock on!
Nicky’s books: Sophie’s Turn | Sophie’s Run | Sophie’s Encore | Spirits of Christmas | Fallen for Rock
Good news! Fairy Tale in New York is now available for pre-order via Amazon Kindle.
Find it in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00O98EMRG/ and the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O98EMRG/ and, of course, in all other Kindle stores. One-Click today, and the novella will magically appear on your Kindle on its official launch day of 10 November 2014.
Join Nicky: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Romantic Novelists’ Association |Sapphire Star Publishing | Amazon | Goodreads| Pinterest
Did you know? There’s a single out now by Nicky’s fictional rock band Tuscq come to life! “Love Me Better” is available for download from Amazon, iTunes and many other places.
THREE LITTLE BIRDS – BLURB
If your friend challenged you, would you dare? Charlie Blundell cannot get over the tragic death of her only daughter. She drifts between her job at the Art cafe and her hospital radio show, the only things which give her life purpose. Her best friend, the madcap Mercedes, cajoles Charlie into writing a ‘carpe diem’ list, but then swaps Charlie’s list with her own. Now, each must complete the other’s challenges, and the outcomes will astound both of them. The challenges begin as a series of relatively harmless, fun activities. Soon, though, the stakes increase when Charlie has to complete her challenges to save the hospital radio station. As the tasks become more demanding, a handsome stranger takes an interest in her, but he is not what he seems. One challenge causes a secret buried deep within her to surface, which may prove to be her undoing. Three Little Birds is a story of love, friendship and discovery, laced with hilarity and topped by a wickedly funny parrot called Bert.
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Here’s Carol’s story behind her latest novel, Three Little Birds.
Three Little Birds was a book I wanted to write for some time. There is quite a bit of personal stuff hidden among the pages and it has a clear message – one of hope. It is more than just a story about two women and two bucket lists. The title alone is a giveaway of that fact. Not only is it to do with the lyrics of the Bob Marley song but there are three birds (parrots) in the story that provide much of the light-hearted humour and on a deeper level, the title has a relevance that I can’t divulge but will touch the reader and quite probably make them shed tears.
I set the book at a hospital radio station because I wanted to highlight the importance of those presenters who give their time freely and whose role is more important than you may realise. It is no secret that I spent a fair amount of time in hospital, undergoing treatment for spinal problems when I was younger. I had operations and treatments over a period of several years. At one stage, I spent 11 weeks on traction which involved being laid at an angle in bed so my head was at the lowest point, with heavy weights attached to my legs that were then dropped over the end of the bed. The idea was to stretch the spine and move a trapped disc. It didn’t work. All I managed to do was be sick, drop food and drink all over myself and feel depressed. Hospital radio kept me sane. I tuned in first thing in the morning and listened until lights went out. I would have howled every day in frustration had I not had hospital radio to keep me company with its cheerful presenters and request shows.
More recently, I met fellow author and hospital radio presenter Charlie Blundell on FB. She is such a cheery lady and so positive. She epitomises the sort of presenter who lifts patient’s spirits. She became my inspiration for Charlie in the book. There the similarity ends though as my character’s life is very different to Charlie Blundell’s.
The book offers a tale of friendship, love and moreover hope, even when there seems there is none. I liked all the characters, even the lesser ones such as Peggy who owns Bert the parrot and Susannah, a middle-aged woman who Charlie meets at belly dancing class. There is more than one person’s story in the book.
The thread that runs through the book is of course, the challenges that both friends have to complete. Each character undergoes a journey that is only made possible through the challenges. Of course there is much hilarity and the results are often unexpected. Even the slightest challenge sends the character on a different path and it was that message that I wanted to get across. Whoever you are and whatever your situation, be brave. Have a go at things that you would ordinarily not try even if it is not an adrenaline-filled challenge. Maybe it is as simple as learning to swim or have a go at cooking something adventurous.
Last year, I wanted to take up something from my Grumpy Old Menopause book to prove it would help women like me. I really fancied pole dancing but as I had a painful frozen shoulder that wasn’t possible, so I went for something I knew would terrify me but could be rewarding—I did a crash course in stand-up comedy!
The results were surprising all right. Having done one gig to a sell-out audience, I was soon booked up to tour the Black Country doing my comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth and then was invited to do it at the Isle of Wight Literary Festival on main stage! I’m not bragging, merely pointing out that you don’t know where these things will take you, so have a go. At worst, you will feel you have achieved something. If you have no idea of what you want to do, check through the list of 100 ideas at the end of the book. I’m sure you’ll find something there to amuse you.
So, for this book, I had to prove the point and embark on some of Charlie’s challenges. I’ve chosen four of them and a bonus challenge—indoor skydiving! How did I get on? You need to check the videos and photographs to find out. So, what are you waiting for? Carpe Diem!
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My review:
Three Little Birds had me hooked from the opening page. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down until I finished. It’s filled with laugh out loud moments, a few you evil woman, you’ve made me cry moments, intermingled with suspense, sexual tension and everything you’d expect to find in a romance novel, plus the ‘feathered’ man of the hour, that lovable parrot, Bert.
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About the Author:
An ex teacher and linguist Carol used to live and work in Casablanca until the late eighties when she returned to the UK, set up a language company and settled down to married life.
When her son finally left the nest a couple of years ago Carol took up writing full time. She has written articles and novels which generally encourage others to age disgracefully and enjoy life.
Carol blogs at Facing 50 with humour.
Blurb:
‘“Ladies don’t just let a gun rattle around in the bottom of their purse.” Sallee took the beige bag, unzipped it, and dropped the contents on the bedspread. She gasped, as Officer Riley and Mr. Davis starred in silence. In place of the gun there laid a mostly flat, brownish-black rock.’
It’s 50’s Seattle and socialite Sallee Anderson appears to be at the height of her popularity. But her beauty, intelligence and savviness won’t stop her from being implicated in the cold murder of her husband; found dead in his office with a single bullet to the head. The .25 pistol used for the crime is Sallee’s, but someone has removed her gun and replaced it with a rock. Lawyer Jack is now hot on the case trying to unravel the mystery, but will he make it in time to save Sallee from jail and disgrace?
Disgrace is not all that threatens Sallee’s happiness. With suspicious family and friends surrounding her, Sallee doesn’t know who to trust, especially not with her big secret…
My review:
I love the first line in the book’s blurb and when that scene arrived, the timing was perfect. Bonnie has a strong voice and kept the suspense going throughout the story, only revealing snippets (aka red herrings) as and when required. I thought I had it figured out but I didn’t. And, no, I’m not going to tell you. If you want to find out whodunnit, you’ll have to buy the book.
☆☆☆☆
About the Author:
Bonnie Glee’s sixth grade teacher, Mr. Orville Nelson, observed her constantly writing during recess. When the school year came to a close, he mailed her a handwritten note encouraging her to follow her passion for words. Her maternal grandmother, a newspaper columnist, and her mother, a published poet, greatly influenced her. As a single working mom of five children, her publishing career began with poetry when four Utah State University professors, one by one, took her under their wings and mentored her. She held leadership positions with the League of Utah Writers, Utah Poetry Society and the National Poetry Society.
Family stories often leave a compelling image in Bonnie Glee’s mind; an image that drives her to expand such one liners as . . . ‘Your Aunt’s husband was killed by his business partner’. Bingo, Satin Murder was written. She writes about people, diverse people, and how they conquer everyday life.
She blogs here: http://bonnie-glee.blogspot.de/
More info on the book here http://safkhetpublishing.com/books/suspense/Satin_Murder.html
Blurb:
Romeo & Juliet – was this what really happened?
When Juliet Roberts is asked to make sense of an ancient Italian manuscript, she little suspects that she will find herself propelled into the midst of one of the greatest love stories of all time. But this is only the beginning. As more hidden secrets come to light, Juliet discovers that the tragic tale of her famous namesake might have had a very different outcome…
A favourite classic story with a major new twist.
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I managed to get Sue to sit down long enough to answer a few questions…
You say your background is stranger than fiction (I’ve got some crackers in my family history, too), could you share a snippet from your family history? You don’t need to mention names.
Suffice it to say that for almost forty years, I was a skeleton in someone else’s cupboard – a secret baby who had to be given up for adoption because of the unforgiving attitudes of the time. How I came to be reunited with my birth family is a long and very complicated story, but when it happened, it felt like a homecoming. And the day I met my mother would have been a very good day to have owned shares in Kleenex!
What prompted you to write this book?
It was in response to the prompt “Write the book you want to read.” I’ve always loved the story of Romeo & Juliet but hated the ending, and I’ve often wished that there was an alternative version of the story which had a better outcome.
What’s the best thing about being labelled as “professionally weird”?
The label “professionally weird” originated when I first became involved with writing questions for BBC Radio 4’s fiendishly difficult Round Britain Quiz – something which requires a particularly warped type of mind. The best thing about the label is that it gives me something to live up to!
Thanks so much, Sue, for stopping by Celtic Connexions and sharing your book and your story.
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About the author:
Sue Barnard was born in North Wales but has spent most of her life in and around Manchester. After graduating from Durham University, where she studied French and Italian, Sue got married then had a variety of office jobs before becoming a full-time parent. If she had her way, the phrase “non-working mother” would be banned from the English language.
Since then she has had a series of part-time jobs, including some work as a freelance copywriter. In parallel with this she took several courses in Creative Writing. Her writing achievements include winning the Writing Magazine New Subscribers Poetry Competition for 2013. She is also very interested in Family History. Her own background is stranger than fiction; she’d write a book about it if she thought anybody would believe her.
Sue has a mind which is sufficiently warped as to be capable of compiling questions for BBC Radio 4’s fiendishly difficult Round Britain Quiz. This once caused one of her sons to describe her as “professionally weird.” The label has stuck.
Sue joined the editorial team Crooked Cat Publishing in 2013. Her first novel, The Ghostly Father (a new take on the traditional story of Romeo & Juliet) was officially released on St Valentine’s Day 2014. Her second novel, a romantic mystery entitled Nice Girls Don’t, is due for release in July 2014.
You can find Sue on Facebook, Twitter (@SusanB2011), or follow her blog here.
There’s a Facebook Event happening today, too. You can join the fun here:
You can purchase The Ghostly Father at:
Celtic Connexions is thrilled to have the creator of look4books.co.uk, Gary Walker, here with us today. Not only does Gary support indie authors on this site, but he also creates fabulous billboards with their covers. This is the one he did for my debut novel, A Shadow in the Past. I’m thrilled beyond words.
So settle in Gary and make yourself comfortable in our ‘hot seat’. You work in a completely different field. How did you get interested in photo manipulation? How long have you been doing it?
I have been seriously doing this work for around 18 months. The reason for me getting interested in this would be better suited to your second question
What made you decide to do “books on billboards” for Indie authors?
I had written two books which I had published independently. They did fairly well on Amazon Kindle for the first few weeks, but then I noticed a sharp fall off of sales. At this time I had no interest in Social Media, so knew nothing of the marketing possibilities of using images with links to my book selling pages on sites like Twitter and Facebook. By the time I had gained this knowledge I had already decided to remove my book from Amazon. I then made the decision to help other independently published authors by putting their books on my website www.look4books.co.uk and began to design posters for them.
When did you start your website look4books.co.uk?
The website has been going for a number of years, it began life as an antiquarian book selling, and information site. I had been a collector of old books for more years than I care to remember.
Of all the billboards you’ve done so for authors, do you have any particular favourites and will you share them with us? Was it the degree of difficulty, the type of billboard the author wanted, or the way the colours from the background worked with the book cover images?
A lot of questions there. To be perfectly honest the answer would probably be all of the above, and sometimes none of the above. What I’m trying to say is I just know when a poster really works. It also helps when I get feedback from the author themselves, be that positive or negative.
Many thanks Melanie for inviting me to do this interview.
Thanks for coming over today. It’s been great getting the ‘inside scoop’ on your work. Here are a few more examples of Gary’s brilliant book posters.
You can see more of Gary’s photo manipulation genius on his Pinterest board book posters.
Blurb:
This is the second book in the Greek Island Mystery series. Although each book is intended to be read as a standalone, some of the characters from the first book, Jennas’s Journey, do make an appearance.
Kat has never understood why she was sent at the age of seven from Greece to live in England with her Aunt Tigi. When she receives an email from her grandmother, the first contact in over twenty years, informing her of her mother’s death, she knows this could be her last chance to find out the truth. Little by little she finds out the shocking facts as her grandmother opens her heart. It seems everyone has a secret to tell, not only her grandmother, as Manoli, her school friend, also harbours a guilty secret. Then there’s a twenty year old mystery to solve as well as a murder and what happened to the missing Church treasure?
~~~~~~~~~~
I see in your bio you have a strong attachment to Greece. Can you elaborate on it?
I first went to Greece in 1984 to work as a Language Teacher and although it wasn’t love at first sight – I arrived by train in Thessaloniki in the middle of the night – as soon as I saw Athens I felt a tingle and by the time I visited the islands it was a full blown love affair. I stayed for two years in all and have been back to visit on numerous occasions. There’s just something magical about the light and the scenery and climate are fantastic. What more could you ask?
You were born in Barnsley, Yorkshire (I have a character in one of my WsIP who comes from there). What was it like to live in a former mining town? (Since I’m not sure of your age, if you lived there before the mines closed any memories such as the miners’ strike in (I think) 1984?
I have a strong attachment to Barnsley – though for different reasons to my attachment to Greece. The people are down to earth and for me it will always be home. I remember the miner’s strike well and how divisive it was to the community. It was a very dark time and some of the wounds it opened still haven’t healed completely. I have family there and whenever I return, it’s like reliving my childhood and I immediately lapse back into ‘Yorkshire.’
Sophia’s Secret is the your 2nd book in the series. How many do you envision in the complete series? Two? Three? Four? More?
To be honest, I have no idea. The first book in the series, Jenna’s Journey’ began life as a short story. I was amazed that it developed into a novel. I thought that was it but I missed writing about Greece and before long a second book was on the way. There will definitely be a third but after that I’ll wait and see what my characters tell me.
Did you always want to be a writer? When did the bug bite you?
I’ve always loved writing but never really imagined that I would write a novel. I think I just needed some self-confidence. Once I saw that it was a real possibility then the bug took hold and now I don’t think I could stop even if I wanted to.
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GIVEAWAY!
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About the Author:
Julie was born and brought up in a mining village near Barnsley in South Yorkshire. She graduated with a BA (hons) in French Language and Literature from Hull University. Since then she has lived and worked as a Teacher of English as a Foreign Language in France, Greece, Poland and Thailand. She now lives in rural Gloucestershire with her husband, son and a dippy cat with half a tail. She is so passionate about books that her collection is now threatening to outgrow her house, much to her husband’s annoyance!
She is the author of two novels set in Greece, “Jenna’s Journey” and “Sophia’s Secret” both part of the Greek Island Mystery series. She is currently working on a third book, ‘Pandora’s Prophecy.”
You can follow Julie on
Facebook
Twitter
and on her Blog
You can buy Julie’s Greek Island Mysteries
Sophia’s Secret