Tag Archives: Scotland

4RV Publishing, Aberdeenshire, Book Launch, Books, ebooks, Famous Five Plus, Kindle, kobo, Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle magazine, Notes, Novels, Publicity, Publishing, readers, Reviews, Scotland, Writing, YA fiction

e-book launch party + giveaway for A SHADOW IN THE PAST

August 4, 2013 Melanie 39 Comments

Welcome to the e-book Launch Party for A SHADOW IN THE PAST + GIVEAWAY

The big day is finally here! I’m so excited. Today, I’m hosting the e-book launch party for my debut novel, A Shadow in the Past. I know I’ve been urging you not to download my novel and there’s been a really good reason behind this. If everyone waits until launch day – today – then my book will soar up the ratings at amazon, especially if everyone buys the kindle version… hint, hint…

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.

confetti burst Now that you know what the book is about – let’s PARTY!

Since A Shadow in the Past takes place in Scotland, I thought we’d start out with some Scottish music to get things started.

How about a little Old Blind Dogs to start things off with their song Bennachie.

The hill of Bennachie is in Aberdeenshire and not all that far from the fictitional village of Kendonald where A Shadow of the Past takes place.

I suppose you’re starting to get hungry. I know it’s not Scottish fayre, but let’s order in pizza. I know not everyone likes the same toppings, so you can all choose your own by clicking on this link.

While we’re waiting for our pizzas to arrive, I’ll put on some more music. Runrig is another one of my favourite Scottish bands, and when I’m listening to CDs when I’m driving, I love to crank the volume up for this song – Alba.

Pizza’s here! Too bad real delivery wasn’t this fast. I’ll just fetch us some bubbly that I’ve had chilling to celebrate with.

champagne

While we’re recharging our batteries with a bite to eat and a glass or two of bubbly, I’ll pop on 500 Miles by the Proclaimers. Every time I hear this song, I think of the movie Benny and Joon.

Anyone for dessert? It’s a hot day so I thought ice cream would be fitting. I’ve got it and frozen yogurt in case you prefer that along with waffle and sugar cones, dishes, and loads of toppings. I’ll set everything out on the kitchen island and we can make our own – sundaes or cones!

As my e-book launch party winds down, I must give you the most important links of all – the where to buy links!

My GIVEAWAY:

You could win one of two A Shadow in the Past swag packs.

A Shadow in the Past 2014 wall calendar with photographs taken by me depicting the area(s) where the book was set.

To enter the draw, leave your answer to this question “If you could go back in time, what era would you like visit?” in the comments. A winner will be chosen randomly.

Good luck!

I hoped you enjoyed my launch party today but even more importantly, I hope you enjoy reading A Shadow in the Past as much as I enjoyed writing it.

4RV Publishing, Aberdeenshire, Authors, Book Launch, Books, ebooks, Kindle, kobo, LAHE Lifestyle, Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle magazine, nook, Novels, readers, Scotland, Writing, YA fiction

If you could travel back in time…

July 28, 2013 Melanie 6 Comments

Time Travel – If you could travel back in time… what era would you like to visit?

Since A Shadow in the Past is a time travel novel, it’s only fitting that the theme for my e-book launch splash on August 4th is what era would you most like to visit if you could travel back through time.

A Shadow in the Past is on these lists at Goodreads:

2013 Summer Reads
Young Adult Romance
2012 Debut Authors Young Adult and Middle Grade
Young Adult Novels by Goodreads Authors
Teen Historical Fiction

Stop by and cast your vote in one or all of the lists mentioned above and launch A Shadow in the Past to the #1 slot – create even more buzz for e-launch day.

So put your thinking caps on and be ready to reveal your answers in the comments here on launch day. You could win book swag:

or a 2014 A Shadow in the Past wall calendar:

Good luck to everyone who enters!

Bagpipe Appreciation Day, bagpipes, Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Scotland

Hail that quintessential Scottish instrument – bagpipes.

July 27, 2013 Melanie 6 Comments

It’s Bagpipe Appreciation Day!

The Bagpipes

bagpipes

There’s nothing like the skirl of the bagpipes to make a person a bit weepy. For me, I love the sound – others don’t share my feelings. Go figure. Some liken the sound to a cat having its tail rocked on.

When at war, the pipers went ahead of the troops. Were they trying to take advantage of their enemies whilst they were incapacitated by the music coming from the bagpipes? Who wouldn’t be intimidated by the sight of an army marching towards them playing songs to motivate their troops?

Still, watching the massed bands at the Highland Games or the pipe bands in the local parades makes me yearn for Scotland and brings a tear to my eye.

Traditional pipe music? Alternative pipe music? How about the Red Hot Chilli Pipers? Yes, that’s correct. It’s not a typo. Here they are playing We Will Rock You.

And how about a little Smoke on the Water and Thunderstruck to really get you into the spirit of Bagpipe Appreciation Day. Sorry about the advert at the beginning of this one…

Check out this link to McCallum Bagpipes.

Or watch this video on YouTube to see how bagpipes are made.

Bagpipes – love ’em or hate ’em? Leave a comment for or against this musical instrument.

4RV Publishing, Aberdeenshire, Authors, Book Launch, celebrations, characters, ebooks, Kindle, kobo, LAHE Lifestyle, nook, Novels, Online shopping, Publicity, Publishing, Scotland, Writing, YA fiction

Launch of the e-book version of A Shadow in the Past coming soon!

July 13, 2013 Melanie 4 Comments

Countdown to E-launch day for A SHADOW IN THE PAST

I’ve said in a previous post blog post that I want you to wait until August 4th to buy your copy so that A Shadow in the Past skyrockets up the rankings with all the launch day purchases.

Asking people not to buy a book right away sounds daft but I’ve seen it work before with my author-friend, Janice Horton’s, novel Bagpipes and Bullshot, which recently won in the Kindle category of The People’s Book Award.

Now that I’ve extolled the virtues of my friend’s successes, it’s time to get on with extolling the virtues of mine.

What people are saying about A SHADOW IN THE PAST…

Stone circles, Scottish legends and romance. A SHADOW IN THE PAST has it all.

… a captivating read.

… a compelling time-travel journey.

… a seemingly impossible romance.

… Incredible how the author weaves each character with the story.

Don’t those comments intrigue you? I think they did so read on and find out what all the hype is about.

Blurb:

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

I’ve got a fun-filled party with giveaways planned for August 4th so I hope you’ll drop by for some virtual food and drink and listen to some Scottish music and your chance to win some signed book swag or a 2014 calendar.

Where to buy links:

But don’t forget, August 4th is the big day!

Authors, Awards, Book Launch, crime writer, Dundee, Famous Five Plus, Scotland, Writing

Book Review: Missing Believed Dead by Chris Longmuir

July 11, 2013 Melanie 2 Comments

Book Review

To celebrate Chris Longmuir’s paperback launch of MISSING BELIEVED DEAD at Waterstones, Dundee, I’m posting my book review of this latest book in her Dundee Crime Series here today.

MISSING BELIEVED DEAD

Missing-Believed-Dead-WEB

Missing children! Internet predators! Dead bodies!

She crossed his arms over his chest, and placed the jade beads in his eyes. ‘To remind you of me,’ she said.

Jade was 13 when she disappeared, five years ago, and DS Bill Murphy suspects someone from her family is responsible for recent Dundee murders. But is it her mother, Diane, who now suffers from OCD? Or Emma, her twin sister, who was catatonic for a year after Jade’s disappearance. Or Jade’s brother, Ryan, who enjoys dressing in women’s clothes and is going through a sexuality crisis, unsure whether or not he is gay.

What happened to Jade? Is she alive or dead? Or has she returned to wreak a terrible revenge on all male predators?

My Review

Thrilling read that kept me turning the pages!

Chris Longmuir has done it again. In this chapter of her Dundee Crime Series, we travel into the seedy world of Internet predators. DS Bill Murphy has to solve the case of missing girls who have disappeared after being on Internet chat rooms. Will he find them in time? Or are they already dead? In true Longmuir fashion, you never really know who the suspect is and just when you think you’ve figured it out, she twists the plot yet again leaving you with that ‘I was so sure I had it’ feeling.

Missing Believed Dead is a must read for anyone who likes dark, gritty crime.

Author Bio

Chris Longmuir was born in Wiltshire and now lives in Angus. Her family moved to Scotland when she was two. After leaving school at fifteen, Chris worked in shops, offices, mills and factories, and was a bus conductor for a spell, before working as a social worker for Angus Council (latterly serving as Assistant Principal Officer for Adoption and Fostering).

Chris is an award winning novelist and has published three novels in her Dundee Crime Series. Night Watcher, the first book in the series, won the Scottish Association of Writers’ Pitlochry Award, and the sequel, Dead Wood, won the Dundee International Book Prize, as well as the Pitlochry Award. Missing Believed Dead is the third book in the series.

Her crime novels are set in Dundee, Scotland, and have been described as scary, atmospheric, page turners. Chris also writes historical sagas, short stories and historical articles which have been published in America and Britain. Writing is like an addiction to me, Chris says, I go into withdrawals without it. She is currently working on a further 2 crime novels.

Chris is a member of the Society of Authors, the Crime Writers Association and the Scottish Association of Writers. She designed her own website and confesses to being a techno-geek who builds computers in her spare time.

Links

Website: http://www.chrislongmuir.co.uk/

Blog: Chris Longmuir, Crime Writer

Amazon Author Page: Amazon author page UK

Amazon Author Page: Amazon author page US

Countdown to e-launch of A Shadow in the Past is on!

July 3, 2013 Melanie 14 Comments

Launch Countdown

Countdown to E-launch day for A SHADOW IN THE PAST

The party takes place on August 4th!

You’re probably tired of my wittering on about A Shadow in the Past being available as an e-book now and I apologize for that, but… a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do to get the name out there.

Isn’t that a beautiful cover gracing this e-reader?

Blurb:

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

I know you’re all just dying to download your very own copy of A Shadow in the Past, but I would really appreciate it if you waited until the launch party on August 4th. There is a method to my madness. I haven’t gone completely off my nut (although there are probably some who would disagree). The idea behind my asking you to wait is this… If everyone buys on the same day, A Shadow in the Past will skyrocket up the charts and will get better rankings from amazon, Barnes and Noble, kobobooks, etc.

I’ve got a fun-filled party planned for August 4th so I hope you’ll drop by for some virtual food and drink and listen to some Scottish music.

Where to buy links:

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…

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.

Family, roots, Scotland

My Scottish Roots…

April 29, 2013 Melanie 1 Comment

Since the subtitle of my blog is My Scottish Roots and Writing I decided it was about time I included something about my heritage. And today is a good day to do it.

dad — Robert A Robertson July 30, 1913 – April 29, 1969

My father came to Canada in 1930 – one of the 7,000 children sent out by The Orphan Homes of Scotland founded by Scottish philanthropist William Quarrier, who grew up in extreme poverty and later in life when he had the means to help the less fortunate, he did.

I’ve written an article on Quarrier which was published by The Scottish Banner in December 2001. Funny enough, I didn’t even know the article had been accepted until I opened my paper and there it was. But I digress… back to the business at hand – my Scottish roots.

My father was one of ten children born to John Robertson and Margaret MacDonald in Aberdeenshire, Scotland between 1903 and 1915 (five of which were sent to The Orphan Homes of Scotland).

Grandpa Robertson had been married before and had fathered ten children with his first wife, too. The youngest from this previous marriage was six when he married my grandmother (wife #2)

One thing that I didn’t realize immediately but my grandparents shared the same birthday, not that they could have afforded to buy each other gifts.