A woman who lost her fashion business when city centre disruption left customers unable to get to her shop, has been hit for a second time, after an Ely book publisher went into liquidation.
Ray Christie closed her fashion shop in Edinburgh and realised her dream of writing a book, getting it published by Ely-based Melrose Press.
However, the firm has now closed with debts of around £500,000, and Ray is left with 450 copies of her novel, If Only I Knew, and no distributor to sell it for her.
The Scottish novelist. whose pen name is Angela Grant, is one of many writers across the globe who paid out hundreds to have their work printed but are left wondering how their situation will be resolved.
Ray’s husband Bob, 83, said: “We had been looking without success for an agent when we came across Melrose Publishing.
“We paid £5,000 for them to do the editing, printing and marketing, they were very professional and helpful.
“I used to be a member of the Melrose Rugby Club in the Scottish borders, so on that basis and that they were such a good set up, we went with them.
“The book went on sale in September and was listed on Amazon. Everything was going well, but when I rang the girls in the office for an update we heard they were no longer in business.
“We were sent 450 copies of the book but it’s frustrating because most book shops will only deal with a distributor.
“We haven’t heard from the liquidators and are now stuck with a load of books.”
Ray used to run a business in Edinburgh but suffered a huge financial blow of lost custom during the disruptive Edinburgh trams project - which a public inquiry has been told will have a final price of £1bn.
Her romantic novel is set in Africa and took her two years to complete.
Price Bailey is the liquidator to Melrose Press Ltd which ran for more than 49 years.
It has gone into administration with debts approaching £500,000.
Barclays Bank in Ely is shown as being owed £25,204 whilst the list of creditors covers individuals from around the world including Lebanon, South Africa, Australia, Switzerland, Spain, Croatia and Brazil.
A resolution of the directors that the company “be wound up voluntarily” was made earlier this month. The company’s offices at St Thomas’s Place, Ely, are being advertised for re-letting.
• For a copy of the book for £10 with free P&P email bobmchristie@aol.com.
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