MORE THAN A FEVER

My husband, Ray Hawkins, gave me this fun article and I can’t resist sharing it with you. Okay, he doesn’t write fiction just devotional books and articles which God often uses to bless and challenge me. Some are included on this blog’s Friday devotions.

I am wondering if any other writers can identify with his thoughts!

Sitting around in an easy chair seemed like a great idea. Recovering from day surgery provided the excuse. Sunshine drew me into its beams. There I sat lost in daydream land. Not for long. Words began to run riot in the mind. I tried to erase them but they wouldn’t disappear.

 

Gone, yes gone was my lazy day in the sun. I couldn’t resist the urge to grab pen and paper. Ideas and quotes required attention. Then it was off to renew my acquaintance with the computer. (It had been twenty four hours since last we inter-faced). The mouse squealed with delight at the touch of my fingers and the computer jumped into life.

My body wanted to lie on a bed. My stomach longed for sustenance. My mind was as light as fairy–floss (cotton candy) but my fingers danced upon the keyboard. Through fuzzy eyes (or was it a mind shrouded in the aftermath of anaesthetics?) words assembled themselves. Captured! Yes I was captured, if not enraptured, by the marshalling of words on screen. 

 

As I typed away I felt as if I had run a marathon. That was strange as I had never run more than the length of a cricket pitch. Not that I’ve done that lately either. The body was screaming, “To the couch old boy, to the couch”. But the chair held me fast. 

 

Time passed. Was it hours? No! Ten minutes of delightful agony had crawled by.

“That’s it! Yes, that’s it!”

Somehow or other the missing element of my world shattering, devotional meditation has invaded my empty space. (Some define that as my mind.) The lure of the couch was overcome. I must record my invasive thought before it is swallowed in the black hole of forgetfulness.  

The computer screen reflected my feverish inspiration. Was it not brilliant? Well, maybe it was just simply wonderful. I couldn’t decide which at that moment as nature called. I pressed the ‘save’ icon and went. I tried to find my way back to the computer but exhaustion led me to the bedroom.

Tomorrow (maybe even later to night?) I would be in better shape.

 

Something inside of me whispered, “I doubt it!”

 

Was it referring to my aftershocks from surgery or my infection and affliction defined as ‘Manuscript Mania.’ Whatever the term my seat in the sun will be empty until…!

 

Ray (a victim of M.M.) Hawkins.

 

And was this the book being released next February which was the end product of the above?

 

If not, perhaps it is the one next May, "Signpost To Happiness". 

 

 I am so delighted that  my husband sits for so long at the keyboard these days to share his deep thoughts from God's Word the way he does.

 

Would love some comments how you can identify with my husband's being a "victim of Manuscript Mania."

Mary is multi-published in Inspirational romance. All except her Baragula single title trilogy are now out of print. However, she is delighted her Barbour Heartsong Presents novels are again available to readers as e-books through their Truly Yours Digital Editions.

 

Check out the video trailer for her historical Great Southland series: http://youtu.be/mN5Mym_3doU

 

 

Oh yes, and another single title is in the pipeline for release in 2014.

 

 

Searching for that perfect cover

Have you ever been turned off buying a book because the cover image didn’t appeal to you? I have. Or perhaps it was a tagline there or sub-title or even some phrase in the back cover blurb that caused you to decide against exploring the book any further. Maybe you have gone your own journey of agreeing to or choosing or even suggesting cover art options for your own novel. And perhaps, like me, you have found that can be a rather torturous experience.

Book covers need to be attractive, so that people are drawn to them in some way. It might be that a beautiful or intriguing image captures their attention or that the colour chosen is one that appeals to them. Our covers also need to be appropriate for the particular novel, giving some sense or glimpse of what lies inside. And, of course, the title and other wording on the cover has to interest potential customers enough to cause them to decide to make that purchase.

In my opinion, covers also have to look as professional as possible. Here in Australia at least, Christian novelists cannot afford to have their books appear second rate in any way. There is already enough scepticism out there in the secular world about Christians, without our producing work that reinforces their opinion that we don’t know what we’re doing! Anyway, who wants to produce something less than honouring to God? Surely God deserves our best efforts? Besides, with such a wide variety of imported novels in our Christian bookstores here, we have to ensure our own home-grown efforts will be noticed and look as good as those overseas ones!

But it can be quite a journey, I’ve discovered, to decide what aspect of my novel needs to be picked up on that cover and then to find that photo that conveys the essence of the story or depicts the characters or setting as I imagined them. With the two different publishers I have had in my writing career, I have very much valued being able to suggest cover concepts and even particular images. Yet I have also been glad that, in the end, my publishers were the ones who had to search long and hard at times for that perfect image and make the final decision about how much they were prepared to pay for that ideal cover!

In September, my sixth novel, The Inheritance, is due for release by Even Before Publishing. Months ago, my publisher and I created a cover for it that depicted the story well, yet was not totally successful. It looked a little dull and dated, and we felt it might not appeal enough to its intended market. Yet it was needed for inclusion in a catalogue, so we went ahead. But just recently, we had a second attempt—and ended up with an entirely different result! The first time around, we had focused on the specific setting of the novel, but this time we went for a more modern image with only a general sense of place about it (see photo). I am very happy with it—yet I’m aware it’s all such a matter of personal taste. Some will love it and some will no doubt hate it, but we have done our best, given the time and resources available.

And that’s all God expects, don’t you think?

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of five published novels and one non-fiction work, Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey. Her sixth novel, The Inheritance, will be released in September. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and three grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com or www.soulfriend.com.au.