Category Archives: Novels

Gilli Allan re-launches Torn in paperback!

The new cover for Torn by Gilli Allan

the new cover

Gilli Allan’s new cover for both her ebook paperback will be available on September 22nd!

Same great novel… great new appearance, designed by Gilli, herself.

Gilli is thrilled to be able to offer her novel in a new format for those who don’t have e-readers or those who do but love a physical book.

Torn:

You can escape your old life, but can you ever escape yourself?

Jessica Avery is a woman in her early thirties with a three year old son, Rory.  She has made a series of wrong choices in her life – job, men and life-style.  Her job came to a disastrous conclusion.  The men in her life have let her down and her life-style involved too many pills, parties and promiscuity. But she believes that by quitting her old relationship and moving from London to the country, she has escaped all that.  Her choice now is to live a steady, responsible life in a tranquil new environment, putting her son’s needs and her role as mother as her number one priority.

But she finds country life less serene and bucolic than she expected. Her ex-partner tracks her down and assaults her as she leaves a local pub.  Luckily, a witness to the encounter steps in and helps to defuse the situation, but she is left badly shaken.  As an in-comer – and even worse, an ex-investment banker – Jessica is not made very welcome by the local mothers.  Then there is the management of the rural landscape – the interests of commerce versus the preservation of the environment – which begins to engage her interest and concern. She wonders if leaving London was the right move.

The narrative is played out against the low-key background story of a proposed by-pass to the local town. Initially Jessica favours a new road until she realizes the route it might take, tearing through the landscape she’s come to love.  She is torn between the pragmatic and the romantic decision. The friends Jess makes represent the differing positions. There is Danny Bowman, the counter-culture shepherd; his employer, James Warwick, affluent widowed farmer and father to three year old daughter, Sasha; Gilda Warwick, James’s match-making mother; and Sheila, the feminist nursery school owner.

The title – ‘Torn’ – can also be understood as referring to the personal choices which confront Jessica.  Despite vowing she wants no emotional entanglements in her life, she is attracted to two very different men.  She finds, to her cost, that in the face of temptation it is not so easy to throw off old habits and responses.  She is a woman who claims she has never been in love. Eventually she is prompted to re-evaluate this stance and to admit to herself, that beyond an undeniable physical attraction, she has indeed fallen in love, but with which one – the suitable man or the unsuitable boy?

You can buy Torn from the following links:

Amazon.co.uk Paperback *new cover* http://www.amazon.co.uk/Torn-Gilli-Allan/dp/1477517014/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1347292020&sr=1-1

Kindle edition http://www.amazon.co.uk/TORN-ebook/dp/B004UVR81Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347292020&sr=1-1

Amazon.com Paperback *new cover* http://www.amazon.com/Torn-Gilli-Allan/dp/1477517014/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347292265&sr=1-1&keywords=torn+gilli+allan

Kindle edition http://www.amazon.com/TORN-ebook/dp/B004UVR81Y/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1347292265&sr=1-1

You can follow Gilli online at the following links:

Writer Cramped. Gilli Allan’s Blog
On Facebook Gilli Allan
On Twitter @gilliallan
And over at Famous Five Plus

Starship Goodwords from Carrick Publishing

I’m thrilled to announce that my short story, Cole’s Notes has been included in Carrick Publishing’s first cross-genre anthology!

Details are available at Carrick Publishing’s website, including the list of authors and genres.

Starship Goodwords is available for the Kindle at Amazon.com and at Amazon.co.uk

If you enjoy short stories, you’ll enjoy the variety on offer here.

My Kansas Adventure Photos!

Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s about time you posted pictures. So here you go folks, and not necessarily in any order!

one of the boxes of my books

Ah, one of three boxes of my author copies. Even before I cracked open the box, I held one copy that my publisher had in her stuff that she wanted me to sign. Anyway, you should have seen the Canada Customs guy’s look when I declared them and the ones I bought.
Me: I bought some books.
Him: $700?
Me: Also have the author copies of my novel.
Him: smiled and stamped my declaration form.

the venue at the Kansas History Museum

We were in the large double tent in the middle of the photo. This picture was taken on the advance scouting mission that Carla and I went on Friday afternoon.

Author Galand Nuchols, my editor Carla Ralston, author Jacque Graham and me

My book is in the top of the rack on the right. It’s also displayed on an easel in a more prominent position… see here.

the adult and YA titles. A Shadow in the Past is on the right

I thought the best feeling I ever had was holding my book for the first time. It still remains special but I think my first sale was even more special.

my first sale – photo by Vivian Zabel

What a rush selling my first book! I can’t put the feeling of euphoria into words. Then I went on and sold 6 more!

chatting up a buyer and her hubby who gives the thumbs up for the purchase – photo by Vivian Zabel
Janet Brown, me, and Galund Nuchols with our books that debuted at the Kansas Book Festival

Here I am with my editor, Carla. We had such a good time working on A Shadow in the Past. There were times that we both thought we shared the same brain we had such a great connection.

Carla and me … and I’m wearing my “ruby slippers”

Even with the fun as I had in Kansas, memories I’ll cherish forever, as Dorothy said in The Wizard of Oz – there’s no place like home.

Now I’m looking towards the launch in my hometown on September 22nd.

 

The Wedgewood Author Series

Cover created by Aidana WillowRaven

Wedgewood Author Series:

Releasing her very first novel is author Melanie Robertson-King whose book launch of A Shadow in the Past will take place at 2 p.m., on Saturday, September 22 at the Wedgewood Retirement Resort.

Nineteen year old protagonist Sarah Shand finds herself in love with Blair, who cheats on her with Sarah’s best friend. Distraught and not knowing what to do, Sarah takes sleeping pills to mask the heartbreak. She leaves the family farmhouse and wanders out into the night, becomes disoriented and suddenly hears screeching brakes.

Waking up in the Victorian Era of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Sarah encounters strange customs, eccentric characters, and a sharp spoken granddad, but also a dashing suitor, the Laird of Weetshill.

Sarah struggles with the secret of her true identity. Will Sarah ever return to the 21st Century?

Has Sarah found true love? If so, at what cost?

This event is free to the public with entry into the Wedgewood Retirement Resort at 15 Market Street East, Brockville.

My Kansas Adventure -Day 3 I’m not in Kansas anymore

Well my ruby slippers, suitcases full of my novel and my ruby slippers are back in Missouri.

The last few days have just flown by so quickly. Still I wouldn’t have traded the experience for all the world.

The last two evenings, Carla and I spent having “slumber parties” with Vivian and Jacque flitting back and forth between our rooms by way of the adjoining doors. We yacked about books and authors and all things writerly and anywhere in between.

Saying our goodbyes this morning was bittersweet. We’ll continue to keep in contact through email and Facebook but there’s no guarantee we’ll meet up with each other in person again.

Galund and Janet (the two other authors who had books debut at the festival) were great fun, too. I’m certain the friendships we forged this weekend will last for many years to come.

My suitcases are fully loaded with books. The one weighed in at 50 pounds give or take and the smaller one at about 45. Hopefully they’ll take the combined total weight and I’ll be under 100 pounds total.

My flight leaves the airport at 7:40 tomorrow morning so it will be another early morning but at least we’re only about 10-15 minutes from the airport.

 

My Kansas Adventure -Day 2 Recap

I had a fantastic time at the book festival. I heard later that they had 2000 people there. I don’t know how they tracked it because admission to the event was free.

The best part of all was selling my first book. That felt every bit as good as holding a copy in my hands for the very first time. Then I went on to sell six more! Yippee! I was told I was a natural seller so we’ll see how well that trend continues when I have my launch in Brockville next Saturday.

I’ve got some great photos to share with you when I get home.

Tomorrow Carla and I male our way back to the airport at Kansas City and prepare ourselves for our early Monday morning flights.

This has been a truly unforgettable weekend and it’s not over yet.

It’s launch day for A Shadow in the Past at the Kansas Book Festival!

The hard work of setting up this morning is done and now it’s launch time! The months of sweating through the final revisions, copy edits and proof approval have paid off and I’m holding my baby in my hands. It’s as beautiful as Vivian told me when she first got a copy back from the printer.

So, if you’re in Topeka, drop by the Kansas Museum of History at 6425 SW 6th Avenue. I’d love to see you, not to mention sell and sign you a copy of my book.

My novel’s cover created by Aidana WillowRaven

Suggested Tweet:

Launch day for @RobertsoKing’s debut novel A Shadow in the Past published by @4RV! http://ow.ly/d3sZU #shadowpast #KSbookfest #4RV #lahe

My Kansas Adventure -Day 2 Begins

We have to be up, eaten, and into our glad rags and over to the venue before 7:00 this morning. I set our alarm last night before falling asleep sometime between 9:30 and 10:00, but when I woke this morning about 4:30, I decided to stay up.

Today is going to be more exciting than yesterday even. Okay, it will start out with a lot of hard work setting up out booth but then it will be time to sell books. I brought postcards, bookmarks and business cards with me for promotion and hopefully that will generate interest in me and my stuff.

My red shoes will go i my tote bag, but will only come out for a photo op or two when I’m on solid ground. We’re outdoors under tents so the only thing they would be good for in that instance would be aerating the soil.

Well must start getting ready because it’s just after 5:00 and we have to get our skates on. More from Kansas later.

 

My Kansas Adventure -Day 1

Getting up at 2:30 this morning wasn’t my most favourite thing in the world but i dragged myself out of my cozy bed, reset the alarm for the proper time for Monday morning (even though I won’t be home yet).

So after getting coffee into me and my last minute things packed, we set off for Ottawa and the first leg of the trip. It’s been so long since I flew to the US from Ottawa, that I didn’t realize you Cleared US customs in Canada. No big deal but with the lineup ahead of me, I did wonder if I would get to my “cigar with wings”. Don’t get me wrong, I love to fly but anything I’ve flown on before is a bit wider than one seat on one side of the aisle and two on the other.

The fields below were a patchwork of colours greens, yellows and browns. The trees, still mostly dressed in their summer greens, appeared almost black. Various stands of trees looked almost alien with their formations looking like tendrils reaching out to consume everything around them.

Once I landed in Kansas City, it didn’t seem like anytime had passed at all before Carla’s flight arrived. Mind you, I did walk from the terminal that my flight landed at over to where hers came in.

Car rental sorted and we were off. Paid a wee bit extra for a GPS but since neither one of us has been here before, it seemed the sensible thing to do.

We found the hotel with no problems, met up with Vivian and Jacque, then went out for a bite of lunch, after which Carla and I went on an advance scouting mission to check out tomorrow’s venue. Pictures to follow.

But most important of all, I got to hold a copy of my book in my hands for the first time! What a feeling! The copies that I ordered are in Vivian’s van and will wait until we unload at the festival when we’ll transfer them to the trunk of the rental car. But rest assured, I will be posting a photograph of them in all their glory soon.

 

 

The Next Big Thing!

Last week fellow loveahappyending.com author, Mandy Baggot, tagged me in her post The Next Big Thing and this week it’s my turn! So, I answer ten questions about my Work in Progress/Current release and tag five other writers to tell you about their latest work next Wednesday! Woo hoo! Sounds like fun, eh?

What is the (working) title of your book?

My novel’s cover created by Aidana WillowRaven

Since mine is my current release, it’s no longer a working title. Now known as A Shadow in the Past, its working title for a very long time was Sarah’s Gift.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I’ve been a keen reader of the Scottish newspapers since my first trip to my father’s homeland in 1993. I saw an article in the Press & Journal that caught my attention. But even before that, I was given a photograph of my grandfather and his first wife presumably on their wedding day and bingo, everything came together and I wrote a short story which I later expanded to a novel.

What genre does your book fall under?

YA Crossover, although historical romance would also work since the majority of my book is set in 1886.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Without a doubt, they would have to be Scottish so I would have to  Shirley Henderson who played Isobel Sutherland in Hamish MacBeth as Sarah and John Hannah of Rebus and earlier MacCallum fame as Robert.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When a contemporary teen is transported back through time to the Victorian era, she becomes A Shadow in the Past.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Neither. I’m under contract with 4RV Publishing for this novel after pitching to them at the MuseItUp Online conference last October. My novel launches on Saturday, September 15 at the Kansas Book Festival.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

That’s hard to say. I’m thinking 6 months to a year but it was 4-5 years ago now. Before that it started out as a short story. I was working full-time in addition to writing so had to steal moments to write.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

This is going to sound lame but I’m not sure how many other YA Crossover novels that involve time travel with romantic elements are out there. Except my heroine is only nineteen, I would have to say the closest would be the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon.

I recently met Canadian author, Y.S. Lee, who writes The Agency series YA novels set in Victorian London so perhaps my book could be compared to her novels?

I really don’t like making comparisons like this because I’m an emerging writer and some people might think it presumptuous of me to think that I’m on the same plateau as these other authors.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I had recently started reading the Outlander Series and with it being set in Scotland I was immediately hooked. Then the romance and the time-travel aspect took over and I thought I could write a time-travel romance.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Egads! I don’t want to put spoilers in here, otherwise people won’t buy it. So can I leave it at it’s the first in a series? There are lots of plot twists throughout the story.

I’ve tagged the following authors:

Barbara Phinney

Janice Horton

Audrey Hawkins (writing as Joanna Lambert)

Darlene Jones

Gina Dickerson