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Authors, Book covers, Book Launch, characters, Contests, giveaway, Novel covers, Novels, Publicity

Launch Day for Sophie’s Encore!

September 5, 2013 Melanie 2 Comments

It’s time to Rock And Roll in earnest! Yes, Nicky Wells is here to celebrate the upcoming launch of Sophie’s Encore. Three cheers for the third book in her Rock Star Romance Trilogy!!!

Says Nicky,
“I’m so excited to share with you, finally, this third installment in Sophie and Dan’s epic romance! Thank you for coming to celebrate with me. Read on for:

The blurb!

The fantabulous giveaway!

But most of all, enjoy yourself and party hard! Are you ready?”

Her rock star is waiting in the wings, but will he get a second chance?

It’s all change for Sophie Jones—only this time, there is more at stake than just her happiness.

Rock star extraordinaire, Dan Hunter, has been her patient and caring friend through the highs and lows since her wedding day, but now he figures it is time for her to start over. By stealth, the rock singer draws Sophie into the behind-the-scenes work for his band’s latest album. Through the days and weeks spent together at the mixing desk, Sophie discovers whole new horizons for her life, yet before she can even begin to explore them, she faces the very real threat of losing her rock star for good.

Join Sophie and Dan in Sophie’s Encore to find out how their journey will end…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy, exhilarated, bereft. Or: how it feels to finish a Trilogy.

It’s done. My third book, Sophie’s Encore, has hit the virtual shelves. The long-awaited conclusion to the epic romance between my girl-next-door, Sophie, and rock star extraordinaire, Dan, is written and published for the world to see. I’m not saying how it’s gonna end but… You wanted to know how it feels to get to The End. Well, let me see….

The beginning of the end: the writing of Sophie’s Encore

Monday, 8 October 2012. 9:30 am.

Cup of tea—check.

Laptop at the ready—check.

Plotline tacked to the wall—check.

I start typing. “So how is Dan?”

To my great surprise, I find that my hands are shaking. This is it. I’m going to bring the story to an end. I’m starting on the last leg of the journey, and I’m frightened. I know where I’m going, of course, but what will I do when I get there?

Sophie, Dan and me: Long-time friends

For eight years now, Sophie and Dan have lived in my head. For the past two years, they’ve been my and my family’s constant companion. Between us, we have talked about them as though they were real persons. But when I’m done, I’ll have to say goodbye. I hate goodbyes.

Still, there’s nothing for it but to forge ahead, so I start writing fast and furiously. As I’m working my way through my meticulous plan, I make some astounding discoveries.

The devil and the detail and all that…

First of all, chronology matters. Doh, right? Evidently I’ve planned the Trilogy in great detail, and still things trip me up. Ages, mostly. Sophie was 28 when the Trilogy started, and Dan was 38. They had birthdays ‘in between’ books and also quite prominently in Sophie’s Run, when Sophie celebrates her 30^th birthday with astounding consequences, and Dan his 40^th with ditto.

But time’s moved on. More birthdays have been had and other life-changing events have transpired. I find myself referring back to Sophie and Dan’s early romance as having been seven years ago. Oh, hang on, wasn’t it eight? Or maybe nine? *Cue nail-biting* Turns out that counting back in years yields a slightly different answer than counting back in ages.

My solution? More planning. I make a large table with twelve columns for months and several rows for years passed. I mark birthdays. I make the start and end of each book. I mark key events. I figure it out.

Next up, I’ve grown. My outlook has changed, and my perspective on Sophie and Dan’s fate has changed. Moreover, narrated time between books has passed, so Sophie herself has grown. I decide to tackle that issue head-on by having Sophie, Dan and Rachel reflect on how things are different for them, now.

I get so involved in fine-tuning these last details that I completely forget about the pain of goodbye as I feverishly approach the finishing line.

Done, done, done!

It’s end of January 2013 by the time I finish Sophie’s Encore. While I don’t exactly write the words, “The End”, I definitely know that this is the end, and do you know what? I shed a little tear or three. Happy tears, I hasten to add. And proud tears. I feel bereft and exhilarated at the same time.

Onwards and upwards

To stem the floods, I move on immediately. I start planning book 4; a new book, a new story, new characters, a fresh start. I mock up a cover for Sophie’s Encore. I launch Sophie’s Run. I conceive of a completely unscheduled mini-project that gets planned, written and completed in the space of four or five weeks. I edit Sophie’s Encore. I start writing book 4. See? There’s no standing still here, the only way is forward. I’ve dried those tears and launched myself headlong into new adventures.

So watch out, here I come! I have a surprise for you later this year, and my fourth full-length book, Fallen For Rock, is scheduled for release in the summer of 2014. Meanwhile, happy reading of Sophie’s Encore! I’d love to hear what you think!!

ROCK ON!

Party Time — The ENCORE PARTY!!

Join in the release day fun!! Come on and party with Nicky —
On her blog
On Facebook
On Twitter — #SophiesEncore

Moreover! In honor of the launch, the first two books in the Rock Star Romance Trilogy are available on Kindle for only $0.99/£0.77 for a limited time only!

If you haven’t already got them, go get them here:

Sophie’s TURN: AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM
Sophie’s RUN: AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM

If you’ve already read them, share the joy and spread the word!

Party Time — The GIVEAWAY!!!

1 x signed Sophie’s Encore Poster
2 x Sophie’s Encore Mugs
1 x Sophie’s Run Mug
1 x $10 Amazon Gift Voucher (or equivalent currency)
2 x Sophie’s Encore Key Ring
1 x Sophie’s Run Key Ring
2 x “Swag Pack” featuring 2 postcards (1 signed) each for all three Rock Star Romance books, and 2 bookmarks each for Sophie’s Turn and Sophie’s Run

ENTER HERE: a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway closes 30 September at 12 midnight BST.
Entrants must be 18 or over. Giveaway is open internationally.

About Nicky Wells

Nicky Wells is your ultimate rock chick author. Signed to US Publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, Nicky writes Romance That Rocks Your World, featuring the rock star and the girl next door.

Nicky’s books offer glitzy, glamorous contemporary romance with a rock theme ~ imagine Bridget Jones ROCKS Notting Hill!

Born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993 and currently lives in Lincoln. In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in London and Washington, D.C. Like her leading lady, Sophie, 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 to The Midweek Drive show on Lincoln’s Siren 107.3 FM. Rock on!

*Nicky waves*
Whoa! What a party! I hope you enjoyed yourself. Thank you again for stopping by Celtic Connexions today to help me celebrate. Happy reading and rock on! And don’t forget to say ‘hi’, I’d love to hear from you and I will come back to chat later!

book swag, Books, ebooks, Famous Five Plus, Kindle, kobo, Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle magazine, nook, Novel covers, Novels, online party, Publicity, Publishing, readers, Scotland, stone circle, Writing, YA fiction

Wasn’t that a party?

August 5, 2013 Melanie 6 Comments

WASN’T THAT A PARTY?

My online party celebrating A SHADOW IN THE PAST was a huge success. There was virtual food, fun and music.

Things were hopping on a couple of other locations, too. In conjunction with my party here, I celebrated on Facebook, Loveahappyending Lifestyle magazine, Brook Cottage Books, and found the time to do a Quickie Paranormal Interview on fellow 4RV Publishing author, Susan Meyers’ blog, I Spy Something Wicked.

GIVEAWAYS

Book swag packs

Originally, my plan was to only giveaway two but things changed because of the huge response to the party’s theme “if you could travel back in time, which era would you most like to visit?”

When I got to 100 party peeps over on Facebook, I put their names in a hat and had hubby draw a winner from there. That lucky person was

Laura Williams

Random winners of book swag packs (chosen by my husband – Mr MR-K) from those who left comments here on the party day post are:

And the one lucky winner of the 2014 A Shadow in the Past wall calendar (drawn at random by my grandson) was

Dorothy Bush!

I would have left the giveaway open longer but as I’m off on holiday at the end of this week, it would be the end of the month or even into September before the winners were announced and prizes mailed out.

And I’ll close out this post with this little video (apologies for the advert at the beginning).

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

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

COVER REVEAL – Sophie’s Encore by Nicky Wells

July 15, 2013 Melanie 11 Comments

COVER REVEAL FOR SOPHIE’S ENCORE PLUS EXCERPT AND GIVEAWAY!!!

Hooray! Nicky Wells is here today to celebrate the cover reveal for her third book, Sophie’s Encore. Read on for:

The BLURB

The COVER

The EXCERPT

The GIVEAWAY

Here’s your chance to win an advance review copy of Sophie’s Encore or Rock Star Romance SWAG!

*****

Sophie’s Encore
Her rock star is waiting in the wings, but will he get a second chance?

It’s all change for Sophie Jones—only this time, there is more at stake than just her happiness.

Join Sophie and Dan in Sophie’s Encore to find out how their journey will end…

Whoa! What do you make of this? And to intrigue you further, Nicky has shared this excerpt of Sophie’s Encore:

Sophie’s Encore: Excerpt

My bedroom door opened slowly and Dan crept in. All thought of sleep forgotten, I flicked the light back on and was met by an astonishing sight. There was Dan, the rock star, legend for his antics on and off stage, clad in a demure pair of checked pajamas with a button-up top and a mismatched, stripy dressing gown. His feet were stuffed into fluffy slippers, and he clutched a bottle and two glasses in his hands.

“Come on,” he whispered. “Dinner is served.”

I giggled and left my bed, grabbing my own stripy dressing gown and a pair of thick socks.

“What are you doing?” I breathed into his ear, but he simply took my hand and pulled me down the dark corridor toward the open-plan lounge.

“Have a seat,” he invited me and gestured at the dining table, which was once again laid, although only for two, complete with candles and napkins.

He set down the bottle and glasses and scurried off to shut the lounge door. While he busied himself in the kitchen, I basked in the heat from the fire which Dan had re-stoked, and observed my rock star with some degree of amusement.

Within a few minutes, he brought a dish of smoked salmon bites to the table, followed by olive bread, a cheese board, various cold meats, olives, pickled anchovies, and prawns with some sort of aioli dip. He popped the cork on the bottle of champagne, poured two glasses, and sat down, satisfied at last.

“Now we can eat,” he announced. “Tapas. What do you think?”

I raised my glass. “Cheers,” I giggled. “So that’s what you meant earlier. I think it’s amazing. It’s like a midnight feast. I’m just waiting for matron to discover us and give us detention. Why all the secrecy?”

Dan speared a prawn and pointed it at me. “Well, for one, as you say, matron will certainly come and give us detention. Peter is very strict on my sleep regimen, you see.” He dipped the prawn into the aioli before popping it into his mouth. The beatific look on his face and his scrunched up eyes suggested he was enjoying this humble treat far more than was warranted.

He swallowed and cleared his throat. “And for another, I’m on a strict diet. Every last bit of cheese gets weighed, the carbohydrates counted, the sugar added up. It’s really tedious.” He grimaced.

I helped myself to some bread and salmon. “Tedious indeed, I can see that. But why? I thought you were supposed to eat lots and get better.” I chewed greedily, my tummy having given an impressive rumble.

Dan speared another prawn and added a mountain of cheese and bread to his place. “Bliss,” he murmured before explaining further. “I’m supposed to eat healthy, not lots. So Peter has taken it upon himself to reform the bad eating habits of a lifetime. Bless him, it’s what he’s paid to do. I’ve been going along with it, and I have to admit, I’m feeling pretty good. But…”

He grinned his school-boy grin, took a big mouthful of food, washed it down with a large gulp of champagne, and finished his thought. “Well, it gets boring. And I wanted to do something special with you. On my own.”

I burst out laughing, but quieted down when I saw the alarm on Dan’s face.

“Sorry,” I whispered.

“Peter’s bedroom is right next door there,” Dan whispered back. “And he’s a light sleeper.” He pointed his finger, and we sat in silence for a minute, straining to hear.

“I think we’re okay,” Dan finally concluded and resumed eating.

I giggled softly. “Naughty, naughty, us.”

“Ha, we’re not naughty yet,” Dan shot back, speaking softly as well. “I was working up to that part.”

He winked, and my heart skipped and jumped. He didn’t mean—he couldn’t mean what I thought he meant?

“What do you mean?” I bumbled, hoping for clarification, but Dan was enjoying himself.

“All in good time,” he teased. “Let’s finish our meal first.”

The Giveaway

Nicky wants to share her excitement about this cover reveal and upcoming release with you! She’s offering a giveaway — Enter for your chance to win:

One of TWO Sophie’s ENCORE Advance Review e-Copies

One Sophie’s RUN Mug

One Rock Star Romance Trilogy SWAG Pack featuring postcards and bookmarks

ENTER HERE:

Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY CLOSES 15 AUGUST AT MIDNIGHT BST.

The small print! Entrants must be aged 18 or over. Giveaway is open internationally. Winners will be drawn via Rafflecopter.

GOOD LUCK!

****STOP PRESS: Nicky’s just told me that her first two books, Sophie’s Turn and Sophie’s Run, are now available for only $0.99 (or equivalent) each to celebrate the cover reveal! Hurry ~ limited time only!! Book details below!!!*****

SOPHIE’S ENCORE: coming your way in e-book and paperback editions on 5 SEPTEMBER 2013!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About Nicky Wells

Nicky Wells is your ultimate rock chick author. Signed to US Publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, Nicky writes Romance That Rocks Your World, featuring the rock star and the girl next door. Nicky’s books offer glitzy, glamorous contemporary romance with a rock theme ~ imagine Bridget Jones ROCKS Notting Hill!

Like Sophie, her leading lady, 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 to The Midweek Drive show on Lincoln’s Siren 107.3 FM. Rock on!

Find Nicky’s Rock Star Romance Trilogy here:

Part 1~Sophie’s Turn: So the rock star wants to marry her, but she’s already engaged…

AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM| BARNES & NOBLE

Part 2~Sophie’s Run: Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour…

AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM | BARNES & NOBLE

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…

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.

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?

4RV Publishing, Aberdeenshire, Authors, Books, ebooks, Kindle, Novel covers, Novels, Publishing, readers, Scotland, Writing, YA fiction

KINDLE Version of A Shadow in the Past now available

June 11, 2013 Melanie 3 Comments

A Shadow in the Past comes to KINDLE

The wait is over. The Kindle version of A Shadow in the Past has arrived.

a shadow in the past cover 500x773 When a contemporary teen is transported back in time to the Victorian era, she becomes A Shadow in the Past…

Nineteen year old Sarah Shand finds herself in Victorian Era Aberdeenshire, Scotland and has no idea how she got there. Her last memory is of being at the stone circle on the family farm in the year 2010.

Despite having difficulty coming to terms with her situation, Sarah quickly learns she must keep her true identity a secret. Still, she feels stifled by the Victorians’ confining social practices, including arranged marriages between wealthy and influential families; and confronts them head on then suffers the consequences.

When Sarah realizes she has fallen in love with the handsome Laird of Weetshill, she faces an agonizing decision. Does she try to find her way back to 2010 or remain in the past with the man she loves?

You can get your copy of A Shadow in the Past at

If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download the app from amazon for your PC, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Android devices, and more. Check their website to see if they have the app you need.

4RV Publishing, Authors, calendar, conundrum, Famous Five Plus, LAHE Lifestyle, Novel covers, puzzles, riddles

Riddles… the big reveal is today.

June 1, 2013 Melanie 7 Comments

Riddles… the big reveal is today

Was this one of those riddles that has driven you mad trying to come up with solution? Or are you a riddles aficionado and able to figure it out right away?

Are you ready for the solution? I’ll go over the clues one last time.

Clue #1

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

The building pictured above is the Rannes Hall in Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Clue #2

of course you recognize my book cover…

and finally…

Clue #3

Take a really close look at the heading on the calendar page… August 2013. It’s in the future. It’s not here yet. Okay, my book is a time-travel but that’s not it.

So without any further ado, may I have a drum roll, please…

Are you ready for the answer? Should I make you stew any longer? No. I won’t do that. I couldn’t be that mean to my loyal blog followers.

I will be in Scotland in August 2013 and on the 17th, I’ll be hosting a book launch for A Shadow in the Past at the Rannes Hall in Kennethmont!

Isn’t that brilliant? I can hardly wait for my feet to touch good old Scottish terra firma. It’s been way too long since I was last there.

Authors, Books, Famous Five Plus, new romantics 4, Novel covers, Novels, Publicity, Publishing, readers, Reading

Author Interviews – Next Up Lizzie Lamb author of Tall, Dark and Kilted

May 25, 2013 Melanie 8 Comments

Today, I’m thrilled to host in my Author Interviews Scottish native but now English resident, Lizzie Lamb.

Freighter passing by the Three Sisters Islands in the St Lawrence River

Normally, I conduct these interviews in my cozy lounge here at Celtic Connexions, but today, since today is too nice to be stuck indoors, I thought sitting by the river on a bench at Blockhouse Island looking over this beautiful part of eastern Ontario and New York State was more suitable. And look! We’ve been lucky enough to see a freighter coming up river.

After a slight diversion and the tea and biscuits I’ve brought along with us, it’s down to the business at hand.

BookCoverPreview-2-001 I love the title of your book – Tall, Dark & Kilted. How did you come up with it?

It was a bit of a fluke really. I had a one to one with an editor at the Romantic Novelists’ Association Convention a year ago where she read three chapters and the synopsis of the novel – which was then called BIG BAD WOLF. Her feedback suggested that the title told the reader nothing about the setting or what the novel was about. Furthermore, she said that most readers took between 3-5 SECONDS to decide if they wanted to buy a book without moving on. I thought about calling the novel HIGHLAND FLING but there were already about two dozen novels of that name. Off the top of my head I suggested Tall, Dark and Kilted and she LOVED it. The name stuck and I’m glad I changed it.

Your book is set in the Scottish highlands. What made you decide that part of Scotland? Is there a specific area that readers will recognize even if it goes under a fictitious name?

A Scot by birth and heritage, I’ve loved the west coast of Scotland ever since I can remember and have spent many holidays there. The scenery, the history and the fact that the Gulf Stream touches its shores and palm trees and other tropical plants thrive in the shadow of snow topped mountains has a real resonance for me. I also adored Monarch of the Glen (the TV series) although that was filmed elsewhere and the movie Local Hero (filmed in Pennan). Kinloch Mara is an amalgam of lots of the places I’ve visited but Port Urquhart was based on the towns of Oban and Portree.

I love the TV series Monarch of the Glen and the movie Local Hero. The first time I saw palm trees in Scotland was when I visited Finlaystone Estate at Langbank. The next time was when I was in Plockton. I’ve never been to Oban or Portree but hope to rectify that very soon.

You have a rather catchy tagline for your novel. Would you share it with us?

NOTTINGHILL MEETS MONARCH OF THE GLEN

I chose that tagline because I thought that non-UK readers would have seen the movie and/or watched the TV series and they would understand what my rom com was about.

You recently took part in a “literary lunch” with another author. Enquiring minds need to know… was this something you both organized or did the venue do it and invite you? Would you deem the event a success?

The event came about because Adrienne (one of The New Romantics 4 – our indie group) is managing director of her own PR company. She was having lunch with the owner/manager of the hotel and he was looking for a range of events to draw customers into the hotel. As the Leicester Book Fest was looming on the horizon, Adrienne suggested a literary lunch and he jumped at the idea. Adrienne asked me to join her as I am used to public speaking and am confident when talking about my path to publication and Tall, Dark and Kilted to potential readers. The lunch was a great success and we hope to host another event there in the run up to Christmas/ Valentine’s Day.

You can read more about the event and see photographs of it on our blog www.newromantics4.com/blog

When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?

To be honest I seem to have so little time when I’m not writing in one form or another!

I like to visit friends, have them for dinner or afternoon tea and meet up with girlfriends in coffee shops. I try to read as much and as widely as I can and write reviews of the books I’ve read, which takes up quite a bit of time. I have this dream of sitting in the garden in the sun and doing nothing at all – but the weather won’t play ball and my mind is always buzzing with new writing ideas. Before I know it I’ve reached over for the iPad and started typing … I also like listening to music on my iPhone through headphones and watching movies. My latest resolution is to spend less time social networking and more time chillin’ and unplugging from the wonderful but time consuming career I’ve chosen. Hm, wonder if I’ll manage it.

Author Bio:

2012-09-12 09.24.38 Of Scottish/Irish/Brazilian heritage, I was born up in a steel mining town in the Scottish Industrial Belt. The massive RAVENSCRAIG steel mill was quite literally in my back garden. In order to escape from the forbidding industrial landscape I learned to play imaginatively with my friends in the back garden and then started writing extra scenes and characters for the movies I saw on a Saturday morning. I was bitten by the writing bug and never looked back. I lived in Scotland until I was 11 when my parents moved to England in search of work and better opportunities for me and my siblings… Scoll forward to 2006 –

Sorry to interrupt, but if I recall correctly, Ravenscraig was in Motherwell which is a part of Greater Glasgow? Do carry on.

After teaching my 1000th pupil and working as a deputy head teacher in a large primary school, I decided it was time to leave the chalk face and pursue my first love. I joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers Scheme, honed my craft and wrote Tall, Dark and Kilted. I’d always wanted to write a romantic novel set in the Highlands and Islands and Tall, Dark and Kilted is the result. Not a steel mill in sight!! Much of my time is taken up publicising Tall, Dark and Kilted and finishing my second rom com which will be published autumn 2013. I am also a founding member of an indie publishing group: The New Romantics 4 and enjoy meeting readers and talking about my writing.
I live with my husband (also a retired primary deputy head teacher) and my naughty parrot Jasper in Leicester and I have the best job in the world.

You can buy Tall, Dark and Kilted from amazon via this universal link.

Lizzie’s Links
www.facebook.com/LizzieLambwriter
www.facebook.com/newromantics4
lizzielambwriter@gmail.com
website: www.lizzielamb.co.uk
blog: www.newromantics4.com
Goodreads: Tall, Dark and Kilted
twitter: @lizzie_lamb
twitter: @newromantics4

I hope you’ve enjoyed my chat with Lizzie as much as I have. Thanks for making the “virtual” trip from England to Eastern Ontario and my wee corner of the world.