A Shadow in the Past

A Shadow in the Past by Melanie Robertson-King

Old Scottish funeral rites, accusations of witch craft, and a young woman’s secret commitment to a lunatic asylum are all scenes woven into Melanie Robertson-King’s recently released  romance novel, A Shadow in the Past. A Shadow in the Past is a love story that will stay with the reader long after the last chapter is read.

I met Melanie at the Kansas Book Festival in Topeka, Kansas a few weeks ago. After reading her novel, I contacted her for some information to share with you.

Where did you get the seed idea for this novel?  “I’d been to Scotland two, possibly three, times before the seed really took hold. On my second trip, I was given a photograph of my grandfather and his first wife, presumably to commemorate their marriage in 1876. In the area where my father was born, there is also a derelict mansion that I fell in love with, so the seed was beginning at this point. Then I read an article in the Press & Journal about a school bus that had the wheels come off. Well, by then my imagination began to run riot and the seed was well and truly planted.

I’m getting detailed pictures of ceremonies conducted after the death of the grandfather.  They are so real, I feel I’m almost there. Were these researched, and if so, how? “Some of my research was done online and the rest in books. I bought the book, ‘Scottish Customs from the Cradle to the Grave.’ I also have a number of other books on the history of Scotland and the Victorian era so was able to use all of those resources to write many of the scenes in the novel.

“I’m also a member of the Aberdeen and Northeast Scotland Family History Society so was able to ask them questions, as well as other sources “local” to the area with an interest in history.”

What was your most vexing problem to solve in the novel? “My biggest problem was, I couldn’t just hop in the car and go check out places and talk to folks. I had to depend on my memories of the area, my photographs (thankfully, I always took lots of photos on my trips), and email.”

Thank you Melanie for a great romance novel.

Melanie Roberson-King’s book A shadow of the Past can be purchased from 4RVpublishing www.4rvpublishing.com or from Amazon.  You can visit her web site at www.melanierobertson-king.com