Mar 275 min read

A Whisper Through Time by Melanie Robertson-King

I am thrilled to have been included on the blog tour for the new book Whispers Through Time by my good friend and fellow author, Melanie Robertson-King thanks to Lynsey Adams of Reading Between the Lines.

Melanie has taken time during her busy launch schedule to have a chat with me about her new book and all things writing. Thank you for your time, Melanie.

Interview

What inspired you to write your most recent book?

I’m a sucker for a ghost story, and I had already written one centred around a haunted house, The Secret of Hillcrest House, which sells quite well still.

I love reading dual-timeline novels, and Whispers Through Time was originally going to be one. The past is primarily in 1914, with a few flashbacks to the 1890s, and the present is set in the autumn of 2022. During the writing, a pesky third timeline said, ‘Include me.’ So, there’s another short section set in 1947. And ghosts from both the 1914 and 1947 timelines make appearances.

Who is your favourite character in this book and why?

Nicole Holbrook is one of the urban explorers from the present. She’s a talented artist and graphic designer. It’s she that the spirits show themselves to in the present timeline.

What was the first piece you had published?

It was a non-fiction article on William Quarrier, founder of The Orphan Homes of Scotland. I didn’t know it had been accepted until my subscription copy of the December 2001 Scottish Banner arrived in the mail. It’s a two-page spread which I have dry-mounted and hung on the wall in my office.

Do you have another story planned or in progress?

I’m in the planning stages of my next book in the It Happened Series, sweet romances set in picturesque locations across Canada. This one (book 5) will take place in Niagara Falls.

When can we expect to see that?

I’d like to say before the end of 2024, but it’s more apt to be in the spring of 2025.

What do you like to do when you’re not planning or writing your next book?

I’m an avid reader and have been since I was old enough to pick up a book. I also love to travel. My favourite destination of late is Quebec City. It’s like Paris but without a long flight. My husband and I are both retired, so we walk daily. Our goal is 10,000 steps per day.

When did you know you wanted to write novels?

How can I phrase this so I don’t sound old? Hmm... I’m going to say for as long as I’ve been reading books and could hold a pen and write. Even then, I told people I was going to be an author when I grew up. When I was thirteen, I penned my first with my own illustrations. A graphic novel, if you will. I wrote it in school notebooks. I have no idea where those books are now. They’re likely in a landfill somewhere. Let’s just say I wasn’t the one who disposed of them.

Do you write in other genres?

I have two children’s books to my credit, and romances with varying degrees of heat. My current book, WHISPERS THROUGH TIME, is the second I’ve written with a supernatural element.

Is there a special place or particular tool you use?

I have an office set up in the smallest of the three bedrooms in our house. I use Scrivener on my MacBook Air to write the books. I find it so much easier to rearrange chapters with it than I ever did with Word. I’ve started working up “what if” scenarios with ChatGPT. It’s an excellent tool for brainstorming.

What advice do you have for other writers?

Read as much and as often as you can in the genre you want to write in and others. If you’re not well-read, you won’t have the knowledge to write well. Develop a thick skin. Rejections and lousy reviews sting.

If your book were to be made into an Audiobook, who would you choose to read it?

It would have to be someone Canadian to sound authentic to the setting. Bill Stephenson and Julianna Wolfe are local to me, so one of them? Or both?

If your book were to be made into a movie, who would you like to play the main character?

With three distinct timelines running through the book, it’s difficult to say who the main character is, although I lean towards Nicole in the present timeline. I think Sandra Bullock would be a great Nicole.

Blurb

A historic Canadian property becomes the canvas for a tale that spans generations. In 1914, a tragedy unfolded, leaving scars that linger far beyond the passage of time.

In 1947, a visionary purchases the haunted remnants, seeking a new beginning for his family, but his young daughter senses a ghost from the far past.

In the present, urban explorers unlock the secrets of the past while running a web design company. Photographs and sketches capture the essence of the property, documenting the whispers of spirits from another era.

As the explorers navigate the abandoned corridors and forgotten chambers, the photographs unveil subtle anomalies until supernatural phenomena manifest that defy explanation.

Amidst the subtle changes in decor and the flickering candle flames frozen in time, the explorers find themselves entangled in a mystery transcending the boundaries of the living and the dead, forcing the urban explorers to confront the unresolved secrets that echo through the corridors of time.

Is a structure just that, or can it house remnants of horror, pain and sin? The urban explorers find they must confront the unresolved secrets that echo through the corridors of time.

The Author

A native of eastern Ontario, Melanie Robertson-King lived in a winterized cottage on the shore of the St Lawrence River during her pre-school years. Before starting school, her family moved to Brockville, where she received her education, including a post-secondary degree in Computer Programming.

As an only child, Melanie was an avid reader and remains so. She knew then that one day, she would be a writer. When she wasn’t talking about her dream of becoming an author, she wrote stories and began honing her skills at an early age.

Melanie’s father was a Scottish national. He came to Canada as a ‘Home Child’ through the auspices of The Orphan Homes of Scotland. She promised herself that one day, her feet would touch the soil in her father’s homeland. That first trip was in 1993, and she’s not looked back since, having returned to the Auld country many more times. Her last trip abroad was in 2018. On one of her many trips to Scotland, Melanie had the honour of meeting Princess Anne (The Princess Royal) at the orphanage where her father was raised.

Encouraged to study Highland Dancing, she competed locally. Her final competition took place during the summer of 1969, a few short months after her father’s death, at the 1000 Islands Highland Games. She won the Silver Medal in the Sword Dance in that last event.

Melanie began her professional writing career in non-fiction. One of her articles graced the cover of an international publication. At the same time, she continued to develop her writing voice: short stories (both fiction and non-fiction) as well as novel-length work.

Since her debut novel was published in the summer of 2012, Melanie has written eleven more books (including two for children) and released the second edition of her first.