| NEWS AND EVENTS - Please use these links for sections on this page. |
|
|
| RECENT
NEWS |
AUTHORS, AMPUTATIONS & AUDIOBOO IN LOVELY EDINBURGH!
Janet: 'On Saturday I attended the Society of Authors in Scotland Conference (http://www.societyofauthors.org/) on the brave new world of e-books, social media, self promotion and the road ahead in publishing - billed as Information and Inspiration: everything a writer needs. Phew!
It was a wham-bam action-packed day with a host of good speakers and panels, specialist group options in the afternoon and plenty of coffee breaks to keep us wired up. Held in a modern annex of the superb Palladian Royal College of Surgeons (just down from Clerk Street where I lived as a student - how was it possible that I hardly gave it a glance for 4 years? Perhaps because it didn't serve pints of Belhaven...)
At lunchtime there was an option of a quick guided tour by charming Prof Dugald Gardner, who introduced us to the work of surgeon-artist Charles Bell. Fascinating portraits of gunshot wounds from the Napoleonic Wars and specimens in jars that made me wish I'd woolfed down fewer sandwiches ten minutes earlier.
I went because I have girded my digital loins and entered the arena of ebook publishing. I think I'm what Keith Charters of Strident Publishing is what you'd call 'an early adopter' on the bell curve of e-publishing - my Jarrow Trilogy are numbers 1,2 and 3 on the Kindle Family Saga bestsellers. So what did I learn…?'
To read the full article go to Janet's blog:
http://janmacleodtrotter.blogspot.com/ posted Monday 19th September 2011
Back to Top
FAMILY FACES - turning relations into fictional heroines
|
|
|
Great Aunt Lizzie
|
|
|
Janet: 'I've been spending an interesting time turning some of my bestselling sagas into ebooks and having new covers designed. To make the books more personal, I have delved into the archives of family photo albums and chosen relations to illustrate my heroines!
For example, on the cover of The Suffragette is a photo of my great grand-aunt Elizabeth Maclagan, sister to my great grandmother Janet Gorrie who was a suffragette supporter in Edinburgh. I don't know if Elizabeth got involved herself, but she had three nieces who were campaigners for the Pankhursts' WSPU.
|
|
|
|
For the Jarrow Trilogy, I have used other Maclagans on the fronts of The Jarrow Lass and A Child of Jarrow, chosing women from the right era for 19th century and Edwardian periods.
|
|
|
|
My Lovely Mum
|
|
|
But for the third and final novel, Return to Jarrow, which is set in the 30s and 40s I have used a delightful picture of my own mother. She was a young woman in the 1940s and embarking on an acting career, so is very photogenic. I will be using her again – alongside my Dad for the cover of A Handful of Stars!'
|
Back to Top
JANET'S BUSY SUMMER OF TALKS:
Whether hitting the trail with The Vanishing of Ruth or taking part in author panels with northern members of the Romantic Novelists' Association, Janet has been touring the North East. Often in libraries, occasionally in the pub and even a return visit to Durham School where she grew up and where husband Graeme was a pupil. He came along and gave readings too – poacher turned gamekeeper perhaps?!
  
 
Feedback from audiences:
‘Excellent, and so funny, made me laugh and smile a lot.'
‘Very interesting & I liked the format. Great night! Thank you’
‘Pleasant, informative, interesting. Relaxed and informal atmosphere’
‘Very interesting, charmingly presented in such wonderfully lively and versatile ways, great acting and reading skills. And such descriptive, pithy writing! Thank you. A real joy. A super evening.'
‘An entertaining evening. A reminder of the story, which I read a while ago.’
‘Well presented! Original material and informal; enjoyable role play reading of extracts. Wine made more of an occasion of the event. V grownup!’
'The Vanishing of Ruth is a fab story and it was fascinating to hear the source material and be able to relate it to the book. ;They both read beautifully.'
'It really was an interesting and enjoyable event and thank you so much for bringing it to the City Library. We were delighted with it and the customers were too. The style was fresh and entertaining and the items you came with were fascinating and helped to bring the story to life as did dressing up as characters when reading extracts from the book. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.'
Back to Top
WORLD BOOK NIGHT - the creme de la creme of events!
Janet: 'The first World Book Night turned into a fantastic opportunity for me to get dressed up in fancy dress - any excuse will do!
I was involved in two events in the region, the first as a 'giver' of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie at Morpeth Library. With the help of librarian Lynne Riddell and her team, the library laid on a 1930s style experience with fruit cocktails served while I gave readings from Muriel Spark's superb coming-of-age novel set in 1930s Edinburgh. Lynne and I donned vintage evening wear to show that it is not just Jean Brodie who is still in her 'prime'!
We encouraged teenagers to come along and discover this great story - several students from KEVI (King Edward VI High School) attended - as well as more mature readers. As an audience I would rate them the 'crème de la crème!
Each went away with a copy of the book - many for daughters in other parts of the country - and it is hoped they will pass their copies on (registering their unique number on the World Book Site) so that the novels can be tracked to see how far they go. Jean Brodie - an enthusiastic traveller and teller of tales - would have approved.
From Morpeth I rushed home and changed into my 1970s overland hippy gear and headed for Waterstones in Newcastle to help them celebrate WBN by chatting to customers and signing copies of my mystery novel, The Vanishing of Ruth set on the overland route to Kathmandu. There was a good buzz about the shop - only slightly marred by the news that Newcastle had lost to Everton at St James's Park just along the road
Organiser Cameron and his team made us very welcome and I shared the
event with Lib Dem politician, Chris Foote-Wood, who was promoting his new
biography of T. Dan Smith.
Back to Top
WORLD BOOK NIGHT - reunion of two Durham authors!
The WORLD BOOK NIGHT event at Waterstones in Newcastle at the weekend brought together two authors with ties to Durham.
I hadn't met Chris Foote Wood since the days in the 1970s and 80s when he used to campaign with my mother Sheila MacLeod in local politics for the Durham Liberals.
So it was with great surprise that we found ourselves both at Waterstones doing signings on the same evening! Chris is still active in politics and was promoting his political biography of T Dan Smith while I was re-living my hippy days and signing copies of mystery novel THE VANISHING OF RUTH set on the overland route to India.
Back to Top
NEWCASTLE CITY LIBRARY VISIT
A Podcast of Janets' recent visit to Newcastle City Library, talking about The Vanishing of Ruth and her current work, is available from the Library Website
Back to Top
JANET HAS STARTED A FACEBOOK PAGE CALLED OVERLANDERS
On it you can find updates on her mystery novel and memorabilia about her trip to Kathmandu in 1976.
Back to Top
JANET HAS STARTED A BLOG FOR BOOKS AND TRAVEL
She is blogging about her overland bus trip to Kathmandu which she took in 1976, having just left school.
Janet writes: “This blog is for those who love both books and travel (or simply like to indulge in armchair travelling with a pile of books by the side!) I'll highlight things of interest in the book world and also of independent travel. I'm starting by travelling back in time to the 1970s and the overland trail to India which I took as an 18 year old, just out of school. Have a look at my daily diary entries and photos. Some of these places are impossible to visit at the moment,
but I can give you a flavour of what they were like in the golden age of the hippy trail.”
In the blog she is also reflecting on her family’s links with India, where her Scottish Gorrie grandfather worked for the Indian Forestry Service from the 1920s to 40s.
  
Readers’ reactions –
‘A true Intrepid. I do envy you, and I love your diary entries and photos.’ – Rory MacLean, Germany
‘Excellent’ – Emma, UK
‘Hi Janet read your diary great stuff I wish I had had the courage when younger. I can't wait to read the book. The photographs were wonderful I felt a little of what it must have been like to be there. What wonderful memories you must have.’ – Margaret, UK
‘Fascinating – how very adventurous.’ – Sue, UK
‘I am awash in nostalgia – great stuff!’ - Debbie, New Zealand
‘Found it fascinating. Going to pass it on to some friends.’ – Tom, USA
‘Looks excellent, and I look forward to reading more about your travels.’ Vicky, UK
‘Just looked at your new and exciting diary. It is fascinating and makes me wish I had been brave enough to go on such travels.’ – Wendy, UK
‘I’m absolutely loving the diary.’ – Rob, UK
‘Excellent stuff. You were far more adventurous than I was at 18.’ – Mikael, USA
‘Really interesting and I got a real feel for the places you visited and will look out for more posts.’ – Belinda, UK
Visit Blog
Back to Top
BOOKGROUPIES - JANET NOW RUNS AN ONLINE BOOK GROUP ON FACEBOOK
Bookgroupies is there for members to swap reading suggestions, book reviews and alerts about forthcoming author events, festivals or workshops – anything book related! If you’re on Facebook, she welcomes newcomers to the group.
To take a look, follow the link:
Back to Top
Back to Top
- Mon 18 June - 7pm, Acklam Library, Middlesbrough - as part of the Literary Festival, Janet and husband Graeme will be doing dramatic readings from her books!
Back to Top
| NEW
BOOKS |
|
COMING IN 2012:
THE HAUNTING OF KULAH: a mesmerising story of secrets and dark passions.
Published by MacLeod Trotter Books: ebook available in Spring 2012, paperback available in Spring 2012.
When journalist Ally Niven escapes to the remote Scottish island of Battersay after a failed love affair, all she is looking for is a quiet life and a job for the summer. What she finds is a place full of tension and secrets, a sinister 'birdwoman' and a bitter legacy from a long-ago shipwreck off neighbouring Kulah. And there's the broodingly handsome artist John with secrets of his own. But someone is trying to scare her away; who can she trust as she
goes in search of answers?
Read More, including the first three chapters
|
|
THE JARROW TRILOGY
Powerful and uplifting novels spanning the late 19th century and the turbulent years of the 20th, with three wonderful heroines. (Inspired by the life of Catherine Cookson).
For the first time the popular Jarrow Trilogy is now available in ebook format: epub, mobi and PDF. The three novels have become bestsellers on Amazon Kindle, topping their Family Sagas.
|
|
THE DURHAM SAGAS
Heartrending sagas set in Durham's bygone mining communities. Stories of passion and loyalty and heroines living through the 1920s, 2nd World War and the 1984 Miners' Strike.
Newly out as ebooks. Available through Amazon, Apple, Waterstones, WH Smith or Kobo.
|
|
THE VANISHING OF RUTH
Janet's new novel, The Vanishing of Ruth is available as an e-book - you can read the first two chapters in PDF format by clicking on this link: The Vanishing of Ruth**
** Requires Adobe Reader - use button below to download Adobe Reader software.
- Available as an e-book (published by MacLeod Trotter Books) ISBN 978-0-9566426-0-8
- Available to buy on-line for Amazon Kindle from Amazon.co.uk
 and Amazon.com
- Available to buy on-line for most other e-book readers from Waterstones
- Signed copies of the paperback available direct from Janet
For more information about this book click on book cover >>
|
|
BEATLES AND CHIEFS
Featured on BBC Home Truths, Beatles and Chiefs is Janet’s
delightful memoir of a Beatle-mad, ex-pat Scot growing up
in the north-east of England in the 1960s, and of the MacLeod
family’s annual pilgrimage back to the Isle of Skye.
For more information about this book click on book cover
>>
Back to Top
|
Contact
Janet by e-mail:
janet@janetmacleodtrotter.com
|
