Happy St Patrick’s Day!

leprechaun

Aye, the luck o’ the Irish… who else could find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Certainly not this girl. But shamrocks and leprechauns are part of the Irish folklore and tradition.

And the movie Waking Ned Devine takes place in Ireland. Only in the movies could that convoluted a plan to claim the lottery winnings happen. My favourite part of the movie (apart from watching Jackie and Michael tearing around the countryside on a motorcycle in their birthday suits) was the beautiful scenery of the country.

I’ve schmoozed with Royalty having met Princess Anne but we never had the opportunity to chat about our favourite tipple – mostly our families and my connection to the place where we met. However, I do have one thing in common with President Obama and the First Lady – Guinness! Although, I find it doesn’t taste as good here as there. Maybe because it’s too chilled in my part of the world? Dunno.

Michelle_Obama_pours_a_pint_of_stout.jpg/512px-Michelle_Obama_pours_a_pint_of_stout.jpg
By Pete Souza (Executive Office of the President of the United States) (White House Flickr) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
There is an art to pulling the perfect pint and it looks like the First Lady has mastered it, even under extremely close scrutiny…

And how about a tune suitable to the occasion when many of your have partaken in copious amounts of green beer and/or Irish Whisky.

I’ll close this post with the Irish proverb…

May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven
half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.

Beware the Ides of March…

By Georges Jansoone (JoJan) (Own work (own photo)) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Julius Caesar should have paid attention to those fateful words. Had he, he wouldn’t have been stabbed to death at a meeting of the senate on 15th March, 44 BC.

Did you know that March was the first month in the Roman calendar? The Romans didn’t number the days sequentially from the beginning of the month either. They went by the beginning, the middle and the beginning of the next month instead. The term “Ides” merely referred to the middle of the month and supposedly determined by the full moon.

The Ides of March was also a rock group in the 1960s-1970s and possibly best known for their song I’m Your Vehicle Baby. I remember having that single on a 45 rpm record! I know, I know, I just dated myself.

So kick back and enjoy this video clip and enjoy a Canadian invention – a Bloody Caesar Cocktail

bloody-caesar

How to make a Bloody Caesar

Rim a glass with celery salt
Add a wedge of lime
6 oz. Clamato Juice
1-1 1/2 oz Vodka
2 Dashes Tobasco or other hot sauce
4 Dashes Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground pepper
Pour over ice, stir and add a stalk of celery

Doesn’t that look yummy?

 

Goodreads Giveaway for A Shadow in the Past has ended

Being new to creating a giveaway on Goodreads (have entered many), I wasn’t sure what to expect. Originally, I thought of just making it available to Canada but quickly changed my mind and expanded it to the UK and the US.

I’m please with the results. 1165 people entered. I’m even more pleased that it was Goodreads who chose the two winners of signed copies. That number of entries would have required more than just names/numbers in a hat and hubby drawing them out.

The signed copies of A Shadow in the Past will be mailed out to the two lucky winners this week.

Thanks to everyone who entered and congratulations to the winners.

4 DAYS, 11 HOURS AND COUNTING…

Until my Goodreads giveaway for 2 signed copies of A Shadow in the Past ends!

a shadow in the past cover 500x773Nineteen-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 don’t win, you can always purchase a copy from my publisher 4RV Publishing, amazon.com, .ca, and .co.uk, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Coles and some bricks and mortar stores, too.

Good luck to everyone who entered!

It’s Read an E-Book Week!

I have to admit being late to the “party”. I didn’t even know it was Read an E-book week! And to be honest – I didn’t even know such a week existed, but I am glad it does.

Coincidentally (or not) since I’m a book lover, I started reading the ebook Voodoo Wedding by Scottish author (and my friend), Janice Horton.

With the number of devices available, we’re spoiled for choice. Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony, and iPad, e-book retailers, amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, the Sony Store, Diesel, iBooks, and more, not to mention direct from the publishers’ websites in many cases.

But what titles to put on your device? Why not check out the authors over at Loveahappyending Lifestyle, traditionally published, self-published in e-book and print. The group Famous Five Plus are primarily indie authors, although they did invite me to join them. Both of these groups cover a wide range of genres including Young Adult, Chick-lit, Mystery, Romance, Paranormal, Memoirs, Crime.

What are you reading?
What device do you have? If more than one, which one do you prefer?
And finally, print or e-book – what’s your preference?

It’s Tell a Fairy Tale Day

Today is…

Tell A Fairy Tale Day!

Never heard of it before? Well, you can read more about it here. The stories can cover everything from Grimm to urban legends.

Scottish legends, myths, and mystery are found in A Shadow in the Past, so what better time to celebrate it?

A-Shadow-in-the-Past-by-Melanie-Robertson-King
My novel’s cover created by Aidana WillowRaven

Even the cover exudes fairytale mystery. Once upon a time…

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.

Suggested tweets:

Tell a Fairy Tale Day! @RobertsoKing’s novel is full of Scottish myths, mystery & romance http://wp.me/p2NmRa-1ln #tellafairytaleday #lahe

Tell a Fairy Tale Day! @RobertsoKing’s novel is full of Scottish myths, mystery & romance http://wp.me/p2NmRa-1ln #tellafairytaleday #FFP

Scottish myths, mysteries & romance @RobertsoKing’s novel has it all! http://wp.me/p2NmRa-1ln #tellafairytaleday #shadowpast #lahe #readers

Scottish myths, mysteries & romance @RobertsoKing’s novel has it all! http://wp.me/p2NmRa-1ln #tellafairytaleday #shadowpast #FFP #readers

If you have a favourite fairy tale, leave a comment telling which one it is.

 

 

 

 

What have you done this past week?

I’ve been rather quiet here at Celtic Connexions since posting about going to my first live curling event.

If you follow the Goodreads widgets on my sidebar, you’ll see I’ve spent a lot of time in this young year with my face stuck in books. Crime fiction, short stories, YA, and true crime. And I’ve currently got my face stuck in another book of crime fiction.

Yeah, I know, if I’m doing all this reading, I’m not getting any writing done. You’re right, but in order to be a good writer, one has to read and read lots.

The crime fiction I’ve read and am reading could almost be classed as research. I can see you shaking your heads and wondering if I’ve gone completely doolally. Well, peeps, I haven’t. You see, the authors of this genre I’ve been reading are both Scottish authors – Ian Rankin and Stuart MacBride.

By Kyzer (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
While reading about places in Scotland isn’t quite the same as being there, I have been to Edinburgh where Ian sets his novels

By Ragazzi00 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
and Aberdeen, the home of Stuart’s. Reading their books brings the sights, sounds and smells back to me. And I’ve discovered a few things along the way that I didn’t know before. See why I say my reading could almost be classed as research?

What will the next book on my TBR pile to move onto my currently reading list? Any suggestions?

What authors/genres do you like to read? Leave a comment and tell me.

Hurry! Hard! My first live curling event…

And no, I wasn’t playing. Good thing… LOL!

Five pairs of tickets found their way to work for the opening weekend draws of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian Women’s Curling Championships and were up for grabs on a first come first serve basis. Hubby and I love to watch the curling on the television and had discussed going this year to at least one draw since it was being held at the K-Rock Centre in nearby Kingston. I wasted no time getting my name in the “hat” for a pair and chose two tickets for the opening draw at 2:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon.

ice preparation after hotshots contest
ice prep after hotshots contest

We found out later when we went for supper that the opening ceremonies took place earlier in the day and not immediately before the opening draw. Still, watching the players being piped in to the rink was pretty cool.

players being piped in
players being piped in

After the pomp and circumstance followed by the national anthem, the teams got in a little pre-draw practice.

pre-draw practice
pre-draw practice

The granite used to make the curling stones comes from a quarry on the island of Ailsa Craig off the west coast of Scotland, south of the Isle of Arran and west of Girvan,

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

and from the north quarry.

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

Our seats were in the corner closest to the media and the television booth which meant all the even ends were played in front of us. It’s so different trying to keep watch on four sheets of ice rather than just the feature game on television. Still loads of fun.

all four sheets in play
all four sheets in play
and then there were two
and then there were two

The television game was on the sheet closest to us – Team Canada (the 2012 winner) vs New Brunswick and while it looked for quite a while, it would be one of the first ones finished but in the end was the last.

and then there was one
and then there was one

And in case you REALLY want to know how curling stones are made, here’s a video clip from the television program HOW IT’S MADE.

And if the World Curling Championships come to the K-Rock Centre in Kingston, will I be there? You betcha!

Are you a curling fan?

Long and Short Reviews + Giveaway!

NEW I was interviewed by LASR

Today, I’m featured over at Long and Short Reviews talking about my novel A Shadow in the Past among other authorly/bookish things.

a shadow in the past cover 500x773There is also a GIVEAWAY at LASR for a copy of A Shadow in the Past.

Leave a comment for your chance to win! The giveaway is open to Canada and US residents only.

Suggested tweet:

Long & Short Reviews + Giveaway ~ talking with author @RobertsoKing http://tinyurl.com/aws7eck @4RV #Shadowpast  #YACrossover

 

 

 

My Scottish roots and writing by Melanie Robertson-King