4RV Publishing, A Shadow in the Past, car boot sale, King Park Press, Spencerville Mill, The Consequences Collection, Tim's Magic Christmas

UK Style Car Boot Sale

August 16, 2015 Melanie 1 Comment

Car Boot Sale

On Saturday, August 15th, I took part in a UK style car boot sale To benefit the Spencerville Mill. My UK friends will know what a car boot sale is. The nice folks at the mill were billing it as an English style sale, but they are popular all over the UK.

We could set up our allotted space any way we wanted. I happened to arrive first, so got the best ‘stall’ – right outside the entrance to the mill.

Car parked where I wanted. Canopy erected and partly over the car, it was time to open the ‘boot’ and set up my display.

With it being a car boot sale, I only took a small portion of my wares out of the boxes to display. Everything else remained in the trunk.

As you can see from the way the table cloth is blowing, it was breezy. Good thing we had three bottles of water and a bottle of windshield washer anti-freeze and a multitude of bungee cords.

You’ll notice, although it doesn’t match my tartan throw, I am wearing a red and black tartan infinity scarf.

While it wasn’t one of my better sale days, I had a couple – one of which using my Square credit card reader. I sold 1 copy of A Shadow in the Past and 1 copy of The Consequences Collection.

calendar, Local Authors, Long Sault Parkway, Lost Villages, Maggie Wheeler, Novels, St Lawrence Seaway & Power Project

Coming soon to Celtic Connexions – Maggie Wheeler

August 15, 2015 Melanie Leave a comment

Website Countdowns

Mark your calendar! Maggie Wheeler, author of the Farran Mackenzie Mystery series will be in the ‘hot seat’ so to speak on September 19th!

Long Sault Parkway, Lost Villages Museum, Maggie Wheeler, murder mysteries, St. Lawrence Seaway

A Perfect Place for a Murder?

August 13, 2015 Melanie Leave a comment

In the name of progress a number of Eastern Ontario communities were basically wiped off the face of the earth for the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project.
The dark blue on the map above shows the original river and the lighter blue shows the ‘new’ river after flooding.

People lost their homes and their livelihoods. Some houses were moved but the majority were either torn or burnt down but their foundations remain.

Zooming in on the google earth image of the area, you can see the old highway and rail line and how much land is now submerged.

The following three pictures were taken in August 1957 when the rapids at Long Sault were drained.

murder — my mum walking on the once submerged boulders of the rapids

According to what my mum wrote on the backs of these photos, I was only 9 months old at the time.

I definitely don’t remember seeing the rapids drained but I do remember after the flooding. We lived near Maitland, ON far enough west that the effects of the seaway construction weren’t felt, but close enough to make it a nice Sunday drive.

I do remember scenes similar to this one in the photo I took in July of this year. As a child, I remember having nightmares about the road disappearing under the water never to be seen again but I didn’t know at the time where it was.

Bridges and causeways were built to join the islands created due to the flooding and became part of the St. Lawrence Parks Commission. The road joining them is known as the Long Sault Parkway.

The scenic drive is free but to stop at any of the beaches or campgrounds or even the 45th parallel, you have to buy a pass.

The old CN line (formerly the Grand Trunk Railway) in the photo below is part of the Waterfront trail. I had taken photos from the same side of the road but after I crossed to see if I could see where the rail line reappeared, the sun came out from behind a cloud and illuminated it perfectly.

With so much land now being under water, wouldn’t this location make a great place for a murder? Maggie Wheeler thought so and used the area of the Lost Villages for her Farran MacKenzie murder mystery series.

Maggie will be my special guest on September 19th. Mark your calendar for that date so that you don’t miss it.

Aberdeenshire, Novels, recumbent, Scotland, stone circle

The Face in the Stones

August 11, 2015 Melanie 5 Comments

It’s only recently, I saw the face in the stones in this photograph.

This picture has been the wallpaper on my computer since the end of 2014 when its predecessor decided it was time to have a major malfunction.

The stone circle, located in rural Aberdeenshire, Scotland, features in my debut novel – A Shadow in the Past – and its not yet published sequel – Shadows From Her Past.

This type of stone circle, known as a recumbent stone circle, is unique to Aberdeenshire. You can find out more about them here.

Located on the top of a hill on a working farm (we gained permission from the owners to enter), in a field with cows and one bull, we had to watch where we placed our feet. Initially afraid of us, it didn’t take long before the cows became inquisitive (sounds so much more polite than nosy) enough to set fear aside and come see what we were doing.

This particular cow looks like she’s resting her chin on the recumbent stone. Hers isn’t the face in the stones.

Do you see the face in the stones?

#BookLoversDay, 4RV Publishing, A Shadow in the Past, Books, chapter books, digital downloads, ebooks, genre, King Park Press, Novels, Publishing, readers, Reading, The Consequences Collection, Tim's Magic Christmas

It’s Book Lovers Day!

August 9, 2015 Melanie Leave a comment

Happy Book Lovers Day!

This unique holiday can also be celebrated on the first Saturday in November. So why not celebrate it both days?

Hardcover, paperback, ebook. What’s your preference? Both have their advantages. Ebooks are usually less expensive than a paperback and definitely more so than a hardcover.

One hundred books on an e-reader weigh far less than the same number of physical books and take up a lot less space – better for travel.

For the person who likes mystery and suspense with romance…

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?

Buy links for A Shadow in the Past can be found here.

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For those who prefer short stories…

The Consequences Collection is an eclectic compilation of twelve stories ranging from non-fiction through creative non-fiction to pure fiction, in prose and poetry.

The story of a Scottish Home Child is based on fact and told from the child’s point of view; The Mystery Woman of Kinettles is a non-fiction article on the appearance and subsequent disappearance of a woman’s body near the Wellington County House of Industry (Poor House) in 1879 Southwestern Ontario.

Some of these stories are lighter than others, and some might even beg you to leave the lights on.

The Consequences Collection is available for the kindle on all amazon platforms and in epub format at lulu.com

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And a middle grade Christmas novelette…

For Tim Frost, Christmas 2011 is a washout. No Santa. No presents. Nothing. His father lost his job when the mill closed and now the family is on the verge of losing their home.

A chance encounter with Nick Kringle, a modern-day Santa Claus teaches Tim that the greatest gift you receive is the gift of giving.

Tim’s Magic Christmas is currently only available in paperback. To find out how to get your copy, contact me via email. Watch for it coming in kindle and epub formats.

cover reveal, Delia Colvin, Novel covers, Novels

The Haunted Heart of Rory O’Dannon ~ COVER REVEAL

August 7, 2015 Melanie Leave a comment

THE HAUNTED HEART OF RORY O’DANNON

by

DELIA COLVIN

Is the love of Megara’s life a hallucination — or a ghost?

The Irish poet Rory O’Dannon came to Megara during a high fever, but she never forgot. Twenty years later she still mourns him. Her marriage to charismatic Ken Benedict was a pragmatic decision as she no longer believes in true love.

Until a car accident catapults her back to 19th century Ireland–and into Rory’s arms.

Finally united with the love of her dreams, and believing she has died, Megara commits her heart to him. But when she wakes from a coma, she is forced to accept that Rory was fictional–until she finds the wedding band he gave her.

Will she choose life with her husband, or death and a mere chance for love with Rory?

ABOUT DELIA COLVIN

Delia is the international bestselling author of The Oracle Series. She is both a screenwriter and a novelist and has been a featured author on several popular blogs, books and magazines including Southern Writers Magazine and others.

She has worked as an entrepreneur, in sales and advertising, in Air Traffic Control, and as a Russian interpreter. Delia lives in Granada Hills, California.

For more information about Delia J. Colvin and her upcoming releases, contact her at:

DeliaJColvin@gmail.com
www.DeliaColvin.com

Join the mailing list to be notified when the book becomes available to pre-order / buy http://bit.ly/HauntedHeart

GIVEAWAY

Two $25 Amazon Gift cards
5 eBooks The Sibylline Oracle

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Promo, Melissa Foster, Novels, Publicity, Publishing

Discovering Delilah by Melissa Foster

August 5, 2015 Melanie 2 Comments

Discovering Delilah

by

Melissa Foster

DISCOVERING DELILAH
HARBORSIDE NIGHTS, Book Two

https://vimeo.com/130652336

HARBORSIDE NIGHTS is a sexy, hot, and evocatively real New Adult Romance series that follows a group of friends who have known one another for years as “summer” friends, and now come together after college to build their lives. They’re tough, edgy, and accepting—most of the time. This series is written in the same loving, raw, and emotional voice readers have come to love by New York Times & USA Today bestselling, award-winning author Melissa Foster.

In DISCOVERING DELILAH…

After the death of her parents on the day of her college graduation, Delilah Armstrong thought she could finally follow her heart and come out to her closest friends, but the guilt of going against her parents’ beliefs haunts her. The feelings she has for her best friend, Ashley, are stronger than anything she’s felt before, but Delilah has never even kissed a girl, and fear stops her at every turn.

Ashley Carver promised herself that she would never again date another girl who wasn’t out, but that was before she met intoxicatingly sweet and sexy Delilah.

When another girl offers to teach Delilah the ropes, it changes Delilah’s whole world and gives her the courage to go after the only girl she really wants. But coming out isn’t as easy as Delilah imagined, and moving past her parents’ death and the feelings of guilt she is left with is even harder. The intense passion between Ashley and Delilah is too strong to deny, but coming together means risking everything.

Discovering Delilah is an edgy, evocative, romantic story of friendship, family, and the courage to love.

Buy links

About Melissa Foster

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on The Women’s Nest, Fostering Success, or World Lit Cafe. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Author Links

GIVEAWAY

The prize is the previous book in the series Catching Cassidy
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour, Guest Post, Joanna Lambert, Novels, Writing

SUMMER MOVED ON by Joanna Lambert plus Guest Post

August 3, 2015 Melanie 2 Comments

SUMMER MOVED ON

BY JOANNA LAMBERT

After a long-buried secret tears her family apart, Jess Hayden moves to the South Devon village of Lynbrook to live with her uncle. Rufus owns the village pub, The Black Bull, and having visited before, Jess knows the villagers well…especially one of them.

Talún Hansen has a reputation, making him the kind of man no decent girl should get involved with. Jess, however, has been under his spell from the moment they first met. Although they always seem to bring out the worst in each other, there is no denying the attraction that simmers between them – an attraction Jess knows she needs to keep under control after repeated warnings from her uncle.

As she settles into village life she begins to learn more about this wild, dark-haired gypsy with the compelling eyes, and realises their lives hold many similarities. Despite her uncle’s warnings, she begins to spend time with him. For Jess, the coming summer holds passion; for Talún the hope that he has at last found someone who truly cares for him.

But as autumn approaches, a dark shadow from Jess’s past returns, bringing far-reaching and unwanted changes for both of them.

AMAZON.CO.UK

AMAZON.COM

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HEROES AND VILLAINS

Once you’ve worked out how you’re going to kick start your latest WIP the next important thing is to look at your cast in more detail: to put flesh on bones, give them personalities and a background. I usually create a bio for each character central to my story, giving them a real identity –physical features, education, and a personal history – so I’m able to write as if I actually know them.

As significant as all these details are, however, it’s what the individual will come to represent in the book that is as important. One of the central characters in many romance novels is the antagonist – the villain. This is the person who, for whatever reason, causes trouble and puts obstacles in the way of our two would-be lovers. If he/she weren’t around then life would be plain sailing and the story would be over before it had a chance to begin.

I’m a prolific reader as well as a writer with romance definitely one of my favourite categories. It’s a fairly broad genre which can cover many different aspects of relationships. It can be light-hearted or serious and the settings for the stories can be historical, futuristic or contemporary. For me, however, romance is only one side of the coin. I also enjoy exploring relationships and how peoples’ actions can impact on others and change things, either for good or bad. My books are therefore a blend of romance and drama and because of this I find the villain a very powerful character. They drive the conflict, keeping the reader constantly turning the page to find out what happens next.

In my trilogy – When Tomorrow Comes, Love Lies and Promises and The Ghost of You and Me – trouble came in the form of central character Ella’s mother Melissa (Mel). She was glamorous, vain and totally self-absorbed. She made Ella’s life an absolute misery, constantly interfering in her love life in her search for the ‘right kind’ of husband for her daughter. None of this was for Ella’s benefit, of course, it was all about promoting Mel’s social ambitions.

Book four – Between Today and Yesterday – caught up with the same characters in the late 1980s. This time, Marcie Maguire, a famous American diva and someone from Ella’s husband Matt’s past returned. She was looking for revenge after losing him to Ella many years before. By the fifth and last book of the series – The Other Side of Morning – Matt and Ella had settled down to a peaceful life together and it was the turn of the next generation. This story focussed on their niece Charlotte. In love with handsome Italian restaurateur Marco D’Alessandro, she fell foul of his stepmother Thérèse who had plans to marry her stepson off to a young Chianti heiress in order to expand the family’s business empire.

In my latest book – Summer Moved On – we meet Lily, the newest female to take on the role of the woman everyone loves to hate. She is twenty years old; much younger than her three contemporaries in my other books, but just as destructive. Her character was influenced by a novel I read back in 1998 called ‘Concerning Lily’ by Sally Brampton. In it, we are introduced to Lily Clifton, a young woman who manages to cause irreparable damage to the lives of three couples who befriend her. The Lily in Summer Moved On has a lot of similarities to her namesake. She lacks a conscience and is totally focussed on taking what she wants and causing trouble, especially for the main character, Jess.

Of course, we haven’t seen the last of Lily because I’ve a sequel to write. Watercolours in the Rain will see her back again as we take up the story six years after the first book ends. What sort of problems will she be causing? Well, that’s still very much under wraps at the moment. All I can say is her behaviour will be as controversial as it has been in Summer Moved On! Watch this space…

About Joanna Lambert

Jo Lambert was born and brought up in rural Wiltshire in a small village on the edge of Salisbury Plain. She has spent most of her working life in Senior PA or Admin Management roles both in the private and public sectors. Her love of reading soon spilled over into writing and her first novel When Tomorrow Comes was published in 2009. Four other books – Love, Lies and Promises, The Ghost of You and Me, Between Today and Yesterday and The Other Side of Morning followed. They formed a series following the lives and loves of four Somerset families.

Jo lives on the eastern side of the Georgian city of Bath with her husband, one small grey feline called Mollie and a forty eight year old white MG Midget called Bridget. She loves travel, red wine, rock music and cooking for friends.

Summer Moved On, her sixth novel, is the first part of a two book love story set in South Devon.

email: taurusgirl185@gmail.com

googleplus: google.com/+JoLambert

twitter: @jolambertwriter

website: http://jolambertbooks.com

blog: http://jolambertwriter.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jo-Lambert-Author-Page/288274811277692?fref=ts

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GIVEAWAY

2 E-COPIES OF THE BOOK

THE GIVEAWAY IS OPEN INTERNATIONALLY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**********

Family, Photographs

Family Photos

August 1, 2015 Melanie 4 Comments

We all have them – new ones, old ones, colour ones, black and white ones. Maybe in albums, maybe in boxes, maybe both.

Recently, while looking for two or three specific photos for another blog post (which I did find), I came across this one of my parents and thought why not scan it at the same time?

This square photo had a white border around it, albeit yellowed but there was no date stamped on it. Back in the day, when they came back from the lab after processing pictures almost always had the three letter abbreviation for the month and the last two digits of the year stamped on the border – usually on the side.

My guess is this one was taken in the 1950s possibly before 1956.

My Epson scanner has a colour restoration feature. Click the box before or after you do the scan and you can see the difference on the computer screen.

I don’t always like using this feature. I think an ‘aged’ photograph has more character. But in this case, I thought it was worth saving both versions of the photo. In the lower picture, my mum’s suit is bluer and my dad’s shirt is whiter.

What do you think? Colour restore your yellowed photos when you scan them or leave them be?

Barbara Lamplugh, Book Promo, Novels, SilverWood Books

BOOK PROMO ~ Secrets of the Pomegranate by Barbara Lamplugh

July 31, 2015 Melanie Leave a comment

SECRETS OF THE POMEGRANATE

by BARBARA LAMPLUGH

Contemporary Women’s fiction/ Reading Group fiction

Release Date: 23/4/2015

Publisher: SilverWood

Passionate, free-spirited Deborah has finally found peace and a fulfilling relationship in her adopted city of Granada – but when she is seriously injured in the Madrid train bombings of 2004, it is her sister Alice who is forced to face the consequences of a deception they have maintained for ten years. At Deborah’s home in Granada, Alice waits, ever more fearful. Will her sister live or die? And how long should she stay when each day brings the risk of what she most dreads, a confrontation with Deborah’s Moroccan ex-lover, Hassan? At stake is all she holds dear… ‘

Secrets of the Pomegranate deals with topical themes such as inter-cultural relationships and the moral dilemmas around truth and lies – whether personal or political. It explores, with compassion, sensitivity and – despite the tragic events – humour, the complicated ties between sisters, between mothers and sons and between lovers, set against a background of cultural difference and prejudices rooted in Granada’s long history of Muslim-Christian struggles for power.

“Lamplugh does a great job of unveiling a little at a time – but still maintaining tension until the surprise of the final revelation.” Rebecca Foster, Bookbag

Buy Links

About the Author

Barbara Lamplugh has been writing since the 1970s. Her love of adventure and travel took her first on an overland journey to Kathmandu, which inspired her to write Kathmandu by Truck (1976) and then on the Trans-Siberian railway, by boat to Japan and around SE Asia, which led to her second book, Trans-Siberia by Rail (1979). Becoming a mother put a stop to such long travels but not to writing. She turned instead to fiction, inspired by the often fascinating and unexpected stories of ordinary people she came across in her work in the community. She also wrote occasional articles for magazines and newspapers, including The Guardian and Times Educational Supplement. In 1999, with her two children now independent, she moved to Granada in Spain, where Secrets of the Pomegranate is set. Her encounters and experiences of life in Granada provide her with abundant inspiration. For several years she worked as a features writer for Living Spain magazine, contributing around a hundred articles on topics ranging from Olive Oil to Machismo to Spanish names. Alongside her writing, she teaches English, edits and translates. With two children and five grandchildren in the UK, she makes regular visits there. Other passions include cycling, dancing, travel, jazz and reading.