Tag Archives: Goodreads

Ending November 30th! Goodreads Giveaway ~ Tim’s Magic Christmas

November 30th will be here before we know it!

Enter for your chance to win one signed proof copy of Tim’s Magic Christmas! The giveaway starts November 6th and runs to November 30th.

It could be the perfect gift for the middle grade reader on your Christmas list.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Tim's Magic Christmas by Melanie Robertson-King

Tim’s Magic Christmas

by Melanie Robertson-King

Giveaway ends November 30, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

November

Blurb:

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 can receive is the gift of giving.

What readers are saying about Tim’s Magic Christmas:

Shawn Marie Simon ☆☆☆☆☆ – Tim’s Magic Christmas, by Melanie Robertson-King, is a heartfelt story about a young boy who feels he’s a burden to his struggling family. His parents are fighting, money is tight. Things are not good. Tim feels certain he is not going to get the Apple iPod he so desperately wanted for Christmas. He believes everybody would be better off if he ran away from home, so he takes the little money he has out of his piggy bank and catches a train to anywhere. What happens next is magical.

Lessons abound in this sweet book. The lessons are not only for children, they are for parents, too. Kids are more aware than parents often realize. They hear parents arguing, they feel the tension. Talk to them and let them know what’s going on in a way that is developmentally appropriate. They are part of the family and should not be left in the dark.

Of course there are lessons for kids as well in this magical story. Kids need to talk to their parents, too. Trust your parents to be there for you. Share your fears with them. Running away will not solve anything. Although, in this case, a miracle happened.

The last and most prevalent lesson is that giving is better than receiving. It’s not about how much you have, but about how much you give to others, and when you give to others, you get back so much more than you ever bargained for. Tim learned that the iPod he wanted was nothing compared to how good it felt to give to those who had so much less.

Beverly Stowe McClure ☆☆☆☆☆ – Christmas, that magical time of the year when children make their “wish” list for the gifts they hope to find under their trees. Sometimes, however, a child’s wishes may not be answered in the way he or she had hoped, but perhaps in an even better way.

In TIM’S MAGIC CHRISTMAS, Author Melanie Robertson-King’s new story for children, the holidays are fast approaching, and Tim Frost wants an iPod for Christmas. There’s one problem. His father has lost his job and money is scarce. His parents can barely pay the bills and buy groceries, much less buy expensive gifts for their children. So, Tim, thinking like a sixth-grader how he can help his family in these tough times, decides to take the $35 and change he’s saved and run away from home. Without him, his parents will have one less mouth to feed.

Little does Tim know the surprises that await him when he rides the bus away from his home town. The places he goes and the people he meets give Tim a new understanding of the true magic of Christmas. Melanie Robertson-King has written a beautiful story about giving and sharing and discovering what’s truly important in life. I recommend this story for school libraries, public libraries, and your own private library. It will renew your faith and hope in our world and the gentle people in it.

Joan Y Edwards ☆☆☆☆☆ – Sixth grader, Tim Frost doesn’t realize how much his family loves him. He wants an expensive gift for Christmas and runs away when his family has a money shortage at Christmas. He takes a bus to the big city of Toronto and almost gets run over. Willing to wash dishes for food, he learns from a trucker how worried his parents must be. When a trucker shows him how he can help the homeless and hungry in his hometown, Tim goes back home, content not to have an expensive iPod for Christmas. He learns that the real joy of Christmas is in giving.

The author keeps the readers wondering if Tim could survive in the city and if he would decide to go back home. I kept wondering what I would do if I was in Tim’s shoes.

Janet K Brown ☆☆☆☆☆ – Tim’s Magic Christmas is a heart-warming tale of a boy who uses his six-grade wisdom to solve his family’s financial problems. It is a Christmas he’ll never forget. This book is appropriate for any child old enough to read a chapter book. The author teaches a lesson without hitting the child over the head. I found it easy to follow and typical of what my thirteen-year-old grandson might come up with. King’s main character enchants the reader. A fresh perspective for a wonderful holiday.

 

Goodreads Giveaway ~ Tim’s Magic Christmas

Giveaway ~ November 6-30th

Enter for your chance to win one signed proof copy of Tim’s Magic Christmas! The giveaway starts November 6th and runs to November 30th.

It could be the perfect gift for the middle grade reader on your Christmas list.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Tim's Magic Christmas by Melanie Robertson-King

Tim’s Magic Christmas

by Melanie Robertson-King

Giveaway ends November 30, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

cover

Blurb:

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 can receive is the gift of giving.

What readers are saying about Tim’s Magic Christmas:

Shawn Marie Simon ☆☆☆☆☆ – Tim’s Magic Christmas, by Melanie Robertson-King, is a heartfelt story about a young boy who feels he’s a burden to his struggling family. His parents are fighting, money is tight. Things are not good. Tim feels certain he is not going to get the Apple iPod he so desperately wanted for Christmas. He believes everybody would be better off if he ran away from home, so he takes the little money he has out of his piggy bank and catches a train to anywhere. What happens next is magical.

Lessons abound in this sweet book. The lessons are not only for children, they are for parents, too. Kids are more aware than parents often realize. They hear parents arguing, they feel the tension. Talk to them and let them know what’s going on in a way that is developmentally appropriate. They are part of the family and should not be left in the dark.

Of course there are lessons for kids as well in this magical story. Kids need to talk to their parents, too. Trust your parents to be there for you. Share your fears with them. Running away will not solve anything. Although, in this case, a miracle happened.

The last and most prevalent lesson is that giving is better than receiving. It’s not about how much you have, but about how much you give to others, and when you give to others, you get back so much more than you ever bargained for. Tim learned that the iPod he wanted was nothing compared to how good it felt to give to those who had so much less.

Beverly Stowe McClure ☆☆☆☆☆ – Christmas, that magical time of the year when children make their “wish” list for the gifts they hope to find under their trees. Sometimes, however, a child’s wishes may not be answered in the way he or she had hoped, but perhaps in an even better way.

In TIM’S MAGIC CHRISTMAS, Author Melanie Robertson-King’s new story for children, the holidays are fast approaching, and Tim Frost wants an iPod for Christmas. There’s one problem. His father has lost his job and money is scarce. His parents can barely pay the bills and buy groceries, much less buy expensive gifts for their children. So, Tim, thinking like a sixth-grader how he can help his family in these tough times, decides to take the $35 and change he’s saved and run away from home. Without him, his parents will have one less mouth to feed.

Little does Tim know the surprises that await him when he rides the bus away from his home town. The places he goes and the people he meets give Tim a new understanding of the true magic of Christmas. Melanie Robertson-King has written a beautiful story about giving and sharing and discovering what’s truly important in life. I recommend this story for school libraries, public libraries, and your own private library. It will renew your faith and hope in our world and the gentle people in it.

Joan Y Edwards ☆☆☆☆☆ – Sixth grader, Tim Frost doesn’t realize how much his family loves him. He wants an expensive gift for Christmas and runs away when his family has a money shortage at Christmas. He takes a bus to the big city of Toronto and almost gets run over. Willing to wash dishes for food, he learns from a trucker how worried his parents must be. When a trucker shows him how he can help the homeless and hungry in his hometown, Tim goes back home, content not to have an expensive iPod for Christmas. He learns that the real joy of Christmas is in giving.

The author keeps the readers wondering if Tim could survive in the city and if he would decide to go back home. I kept wondering what I would do if I was in Tim’s shoes.

Janet K Brown ☆☆☆☆☆ – Tim’s Magic Christmas is a heart-warming tale of a boy who uses his six-grade wisdom to solve his family’s financial problems. It is a Christmas he’ll never forget. This book is appropriate for any child old enough to read a chapter book. The author teaches a lesson without hitting the child over the head. I found it easy to follow and typical of what my thirteen-year-old grandson might come up with. King’s main character enchants the reader. A fresh perspective for a wonderful holiday.

 

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

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

blog party button

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… The Classic Wink Smiley

 

 

ebook cover on readerWhen 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 burstNow 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

champagne flutes

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!

amazon.com logo
amazon.co.uk logo


My GIVEAWAY:

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

a shadow in the past postcard fronta shadow in the past postcard backa shadow in the past ebook postcard fronta shadow in the past postcard backa shadow in the past bookmarkor

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

a shadow in the past 2014 calendarTo 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.

REVIEWS – authors love to get them

There’s nothing like basking in the glory of a 5-star review of your novel. Even if it’s a 1-star stinker, at least you’ve moved someone to write why they didn’t care for your book. I’ve been told, too, you haven’t arrived until you’ve received one of these unpleasantly aromatic odorous reviews.

I’ve been approached by people in the supermarket who have bought my book and told me in the middle of the canned veg aisle how much they loved it, how I twisted the plot and kept them turning the pages so they couldn’t put the book down.

As authors these are the things we truly love to hear or read. It reinforces our belief that we’ve written a quality piece of work that resonated with that particular reader.

But when you don’t get that feedback – whether it be a written review, or a reader makes a point of telling you face-to-face how much they enjoyed your book – you don’t know.

When you read a book (especially if it’s a new-to-you author), do you take the time to write a review and post it on amazon, Goodreads or other sites?

 

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!