Message Board

Message Board

Hi, and welcome to my website.

To leave a message or reader's review, go to the input window by clicking here. If it requires a response, I'll respond underneath your message. To see readers' reviews, scroll down to the bottom of this screen.

My publisher, General Store Publishing House, is on Twitter and Facebook. To read interesting tidbits about my fellow GSPH authors (and even me, occasionally), go to: http://twitter.com/#!/GeneralStorePH and http://www.facebook.com/pages/General-Store-Publishing-House/174351582582823

A note to book clubs: I'm willing to attend discussions of both DUEL and McNab. It's a way for me to get input from people who don't feel obligated to be complimentary. I've already done this with a couple of book clubs who read McNab. Some readers said they found the story intriguing; some said it took them a few pages to get used to the Scottish vernacular. There was no kicking and screaming at either club. (I waited until I got home.) If your club is interested, please leave a contact on the Message Board, and I'll get back to you.

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A note to historical societies: I've put together a presentation entitled How Historical Fiction Complements the Historical Record. To support my hypothesis, I read short excerpts from my novels, as well as draw upon the work of two other authors of historical fiction. The presentation is approximately 25 minutes in length, after which I usually spend some time answering questions. If your group would be interested in having me as a guest speaker, please leave a contact on the Message Board, and I'll get back to you.

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DUEL and McNab available as e-books: Both novels can be downloaded onto e-book readers from the Smashwords website. The first part of the stories can be sampled for free. Here's the link to McNab: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/11063. Here's the link to DUEL: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10052. Please send the links to people who like to read on e-book readers.

For fellow authors who are interested in converting their print books into e-books, here's the link to a video presentation by Smashwords Founder and CEO Mark Coker. http://www.slideshare.net:80/Smashwords/introduction-to-smashwords-ebook-publishing-and-distribution-made-easy While I wouldn't have chosen to name an e-book website "Smashwords," I can tell you from experience that this is an excellent company to work with. The Style Guide is easy to follow, and if you have questions, Mark, or one of his colleagues, responds to e-mails within a very reasonable time.

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Thanks to all who stopped by my table at the Civitan Club of Perth's Christmas Craft Show and Sale on Sunday, Nov. 27/11. And special thanks to Carol Rubino and Joan Frommer for a well-organized event. I hope those of you who purchased copies of my novels will enjoy them. Comments on what you thought of the stories are most welcome and can be left on the Message Board.

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Thanks to all who stopped by my table at the Girl Guides Holiday Bazaar held at the Neelin Street Community Centre in Carleton Place, Ontario on Saturday, November 19/11. And special thanks to Lisa O'Brien for a well-organized event. I hope those of you who purchased copies of my novels will enjoy them. Comments on what you thought of the stories are most welcome and can be left on the Message Board.

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Thanks to all who stopped by my table to chat at the White Pine Festival in my hometown of Arnprior, Ontario, August 27 and 28/11. And special thanks to Art Smith for taking care of all the vendors. I hope those of you who purchased copies of my novels will enjoy them. Comments on the stories are most welcome and can be left on the Message Board.

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Thanks to everyone who stopped by my table at the 25th Annual Lanark County Plowing Match held on the Bill Dobson Family Farm, RR#1, Smiths Falls, Ontario, August 20/11. And special thanks to Barb Dowdall for taking care of all the vendors. For those who purchased copies of my novels, hope you enjoy them. Your comments on the stories can be left on the Message Board.

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Thanks to everyone who stopped by my table at the Bridge Street Bazaar in Carleton Place, Ontario, on Saturday, July 30/11. And thanks to Cathie McOrmond of the town's Business Improvement Association for a well-organized event. I hope those of you who purchased copies of my novels will enjoy reading them. Comments about what you thought of the stories are welcome and can be left on the Message Board.

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Thanks to all who stopped by my table to chat at the Canal Railway Festival in Smiths Falls, Ontario, on July 15 and 17/11. I hope those of you who purchased copies of my novels will enjoy reading them. Comments about what you thought of the stories are welcome and can be left on the Message Board.

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Thanks to everyone who came by my table to say hello at the McNab Days Scottish Festival on the grounds of the Waba Cottage Museum in White Lake, Ontario, on Sunday, June 26/11. I hope those of you who purchased copies of my novels will enjoy them. Comments on what you thought of the stories are most welcome and can be left on the Message Board.

Readers' Reviews and Messages

Hi David -- It's been so long since we talked. I lost your email address when I got a new laptop and failed to carry my email addresses over from my old one.

Are you working on something new?

I just finished a new book - it's called "Wynn" and not part of the trilogy. I am in the process of editing it with a great editor from Ottawa, she is with General Store and she is a terrific efitor as well as a wonderful person. I am hoping that it will be out in May. Will you come to my book launch is everything goes according to plan?

Our son and his girlfriend are expecting their first child this month - I will be a grandmother!! They are getting married June 30th so I'm hoping to work my book in before that.

A neighbor of mine brought over a binder that someone gave him. The previous guy bought a box of things at an auction sale and the binder was in it. There are two letters from Perthshire, Scotland dated 1968 and the other 1969. Both these letters talk about the Laird of McNab, one being his namesake. It seems that everybody has an opinion of Archibald McNab, and being relatives try to color up his personality. Too little too late, these letters appear but I thought you might like them for a point of interest.

I 'm sure the guy will come back for this binder and wondered if you wanted me to make you a copy before he picked them up. If you do want them, send me your address and I'll mail them off to you.

Hope all is well - talk to you soon. ---- glendatippins@hotmail.ca

Glenda

Hello David,

I purchased your book "McNab" in Perth at the Christmas Craft Fair and put it in my stack of to-read books. I started reading it recently and did I ever enjoy it! You certainly know how to tell a story!

My ancestors came from Scotland and settled, first, in Glengarry, and then in Renfrew County because of free land grants. Although they were not under the McNab thumb, your story told their story, too, in many ways.

I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it, and I will keep it to read again.

Jayne Sigmund

Hi Jayne,

Thanks very much for taking the time to post your comments; I do appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed the novel.

All the best,

David

Hi David,

I just finished reading McNab. Congratulations! What a delightfull book. I could hardly put it down.

You state that it is fiction, but it sure rings of a true story. The Scottish dialect and accents with which you have imbued it is amazing. One can hear the voices in one's mind as if it was a live stage play or movie. What a great platform for a TV mini-series this would make.

I have ordered several more copies to offer as Christmas gifts.

Thank you for such a wonderful contribution to Canadian literature.

Sincerely,

John Robillard,
Stittsville, Ontario

Hi John,

Thanks very much for your positive appraisal. Glad you enjoyed the story, and I really appreciate that you took the time to let me know what you thought of it. You've made my day!

David

I talked to the author at the Plowing Match, and was promised a good read. Well, it certainly was! I enjoyed the book from beginning to end.

Dear Reader,

Thanks very much. Glad you enjoyed the story. But I'm wondering which novel you read: McNab or DUEL?

David

I found DUEL interesting. The blacksmith's description of small town gossip and rivalries gave me a look into what it was like to live in a small town at that time. The hand-written examples of his essay were a nice touch. His complaints about his arthritis giving him problems writing the report added credibility to the story. The references to Richmond Road and his staying at the hotel in Bytown were fun to read, and gave the story a sense of local history.

The name change for Rideau Ferry from the original name was interesting. The description of the public hanging was informative. I did not realize that a person was hanged from anything other than a gallows. This hanging from a garret was quite gruesome. The large crowds and festive atmosphere made it all the more bizarre. They didn't have much entertainment in small towns in those days.

Moe

Dear David,

I enjoyed reading the material on your website. Some of your ideas, and the comments of others, gave me a real nudge to look into the fascinating world of historical fiction. I always thought historical fiction was just fiction built into a certain era. I did not realize the work was based on facts, happenings, and people of a certain era. Thank you for your insight. It’s exciting to start on a new adventure.

Mimi

I read both McNab and DUEL.

Your use of the Scottish dialect in McNab made the story more authentic. And I could see so clearly some of the places you mention because I remember them from when I lived in Arnprior. Showing what life was like in Scotland in the 19th century also added to the story. Living was really hard back then.

The blacksmith in DUEL made me really mad! He seemed honest enough in his business dealings, but a liar and conniver in his personal relationships. I was enraged by his despicable behavior! He should have been man enough to take responsibility. His letters to Mary echo throughout the story. Someone should have shot him. I was angry when I finished the book because of what happened to Lyon.

I thought both books were well written, and I look forward to your next one.

Mimi

When I met you at the Perth Museum, where the high school history class were screening their historical documentaries on Perth, I was intrigued when you said your book was based upon a document written by a blacksmith some 50 years after the duel between Lyon and Wilson.

Having read it, I see that both your book and my documentary – “Daniel’s Journey: History Rewritten” – deal with the question: what is truth? Especially in history! Commonly held historical beliefs might be altered, or completely shattered, when a new document comes to light. How then do we deal with the historical record? How is history rewritten?

I became more curious when told at the Booknook in Perth that feedback from readers said they found your book a little risqué. How can a book about a fatal duel be risqué?

I knew a bit about the duel itself, and many of the characters described in your book, but you provide details about the life and times in early Perth that brought the characters of Rev. Bell, Matheson, and the other players of the time back to life.

I found your premise - the newly discovered document - the most interesting part of the story. How did such a document come to light? Is it real? The photos in the book of a few pages of the blacksmith’s letter . . . ah, but you leave it up to the reader to form any final opinions about that letter. I found the story quite fascinating, a good read, and, in some ways, a parallel to the story line in my documentary. You give us a feel for what life was like in Perth at that time. Was it risqué? In early puritanical Perth, could anything be risqué? I’ll leave it up to your readers to form their own opinions on that.

Well done, David!

Hugh Chatfield

Thanks for your comments, Hugh.

Dear Reader,

The link to Hugh’s website on Daniel Daverne is under my Links tab.

David

Hello David:

I read "Duel" a few months ago and I enjoyed reading a novel set in Perth. I teach a Local History course (we study Perth) at Perth and District Collegiate Institute and I would like to extend an invitation for you to come to my class and speak about the duel and about how you did the research for your novel. I would very much enjoy having you speak to the students. I do hope that this is something you will consider doing.

Thank you for your consideration of my request.

Cheers,

Tim Zander

Hi Tim,

I'd be happy to speak to your students. I'll be in touch by email.

David

It was a joy to read David Mulholland's latest novel "Duel". While the account of the events leading up to and including the duel are fascinating, what really appealed to me was the way in which the writer of the report (aka Mulholland???) fought to remember the details surrounding the event some 50 odd years later, and the charming way in which he expressed those thoughts. As he relates his remembrances of events his thoughts twist and turn and sometimes go off at interesting tangents.

The novel affords us some interesting and compelling insights into rural life in the 1800's, and includes some insights into relationships between young folk at the time that are sure to evoke memories in those of us living many years later.

This is a very good read and I highly recommend it.

(Dr.) John Jones

Duel was an excellent read!

David Mulholland has a way of turning a phrase and also the ability to almost give out tidbits of information and then pull them back. The pages turned faster than I wanted them to and I was sorry when I reached the last page.

Both Duel and McNab brought history to life and the colourful characters are great!

Glenda Ferguson Tippins

I've often visited Perth but your novel made me see the town in a whole new light. I got a real sense of what day-to-day life was like for Perth residents in the 1830s: a hotbed of gossip and a place very much under the sway of the moralizing Presbyterian minister. Duel is also a wonderful exploration of how jealousy can drive a thwarted lover to extreme and fatal action. This book offers an intriguing look at the complex emotional and social dynamics that resulted in Canada's famous "last duel."

Wendy

Great book again David. I don't know how you do it. You truly bring to light the Puritan angst of the period. Congratulations.

Art