Mawage, er, Marriage Proposal Traditions

International Proposal Traditions 

By "international" I mean "outside of the United States". ;)

Ever wondered what other traditions there are out there for marriage proposals? Just how do they do it in a place such as...

Ireland.

They have one such tradition as women proposing to men.

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25087659

 But only once every four years. Time and Date (of all places to read about proposals!) say this:

"According to an old Irish legend, or possibly history, St Brigid struck a deal with St Patrick to allow women to propose to men – and not just the other way around – every four years.
This is believed to have been introduced to balance the traditional roles of men and women in a similar way to how leap day balances the calendar."

This romantic comedy movie is super fun. I highly recommend it.


Australian Aboriginals

Traditionally promised to marriage at age five. Nowadays, Aboriginal people are quite contemporary, especially those who live in country towns or cities.

http://www.cairnsunlimited.com/aboriginalculture.htm

 The Netherlands

Clogs as a marriage proposal, what could possibly be more Dutch than THAT!

Image from creative commons.

One story says that young men once carved clogs to leave on the doorsteps of their chosen ladies, and if she wore them the next day it would signal an acceptance of the marriage proposal. Aww. In contemporary Dutch wedding traditions, some couples may wear clogs for the wedding day and later display them on the walls of their home with dried flowers.

Apparently we also have the Dutch to thank for bridal showers, wishing trees, and lilies of the valley. Ah. Where would today's brides be without those traditions? :)

 Italy
Giving one's true love a lumpy iron band. Cos, you know, nothing says "I love you" more than THAT!

Iron Roman wedding band. Photographed at British Museum, London.

 But Italians being the clever people they are figured out that iron rusts and decided to make them out of gold instead. And then add diamonds. And clasped hands (fede ala Claddagh) style rings thus bringing the tradition full circle from "I own you" to "I promise to marry you/trust you" to "I love you".

There are more traditions over at THIS blog. In the meantime, here's the mawage clip from the Princess Bride.

Your turn! What marriage proposal traditions have YOU heard of that is unusual?

God bless!

Lucy Thompson is a stay-at-home mum to five precocious children and wife to the ultra-handy Dave by day, and a snoop by night, stalking interesting characters through historical settings, and writing about their exploits. Catch her on facebook. She'd love to make a new friend. :)

No Time to Read - A Guest Post by Author Debra Jeter

Hi! This is Patricia. I am happy to introduce my new writer friend Debra Jeter. She's a Vanderbilt University professor and debut author. Enjoy Debra's guest post.

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In Today’s Shifting Landscape: Why Books Still Matter,

For the Young & Young at Heart

Technology has turned the world upside down. I used to believe that when I got older, I would be wiser and more knowledgeable and the young might even turn to me for guidance. Instead, the older I get, the harder it is to keep up with the advances. I have to look to my children for help. “What is Snapchat?” I ask; or “How do you share a picture from Instagram to Facebook?”

A friend of mine told me that when she got her cable installed for her television, she wanted to block certain channels from viewing by her kids. She couldn’t figure out how to do it, so what did she do? She asked her kids to block the channels from themselves!

But do these technologically savvy youngsters read books for pleasure? Do they know who Louisa May Alcott was or what Robert Lewis Stevenson wrote? Have they read Emily Bronte or Mark Twain? And it is not just kids who bury their (our) noses too often in their computers or smart phones. I am not saying it’s all bad. But we only have so many hours in a lifetime. Whereas we once spent our leisure time reading books, I wonder how many of those hours are now spent scrolling through the latest posts on Facebook or Instagram or some other social medium.

It would be a tremendous shame if our youth ceased to read for entertainment, for enlightenment. I think the best books are not the ones that tell us how to think or behave, but the ones that leave us with questions. I recently read a post from a reader who said that Gone with the Wind disturbed her for a long time because of its ending. I thought back to the first time I read it. I stumbled across the novel on the shelves of our local library and, believe it or not, I had never heard of it. I was engrossed. And, yes, I too was disturbed by the ending. But would we have remembered it as well or as long if Scarlett had fallen into Rhett’s arms in the finale? Instead, we have to wonder if she’s getting what she deserves, and to question what will happen tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day.

Books open doors in a way that nothing else can. They allow us to draw our own pictures of the setting and characters, rather than relying on the director or actors as in a movie. They expand our vocabulary, not because we look words up in the dictionary but because we learn from context as we encounter those same words again and again. When you are engaged in the story, you probably don’t want to take time to look words up even on your smart phone. And, honestly, you don’t need to!

Many of my favorite books can be categorized as young adult or even children’s books. But when I was in those age groups, I remember reading and cherishing many adult novels. Don’t limit yourselves to one genre or one reading level, or you might miss some true treasures.

Finally, I still believe we can learn a lot from our elders. Several years ago I had two women in a college class I was teaching who were mother and daughter. Both led busy lives. By the end of the course it became clear that the mother would earn one of the highest grades in the class, while the daughter was likely to fail. The mother confided to me that she had learned to snatch every available moment—while baking something in the oven, while drying a load of laundry, etc.—to read a paragraph or two of her text. I don’t know if her daughter ever learned that lesson, but it has certainly stayed with me over the years. If I have a longish drive or an appointment—hair salon, dentist, doctor’s office, whatever—you’ll rarely catch me without a book or an audio book!

Besides the Bible, can you name a book that has made a difference in your life?

Debra Jeter’s debut novel, The Ticket, is now available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other outlets. Check out the book trailer at: https://vimeo.com/50187275.

A Vanderbilt University professor, Debra worries that by trying to do too much, she doesn’t do anything as well as she could or should. She also worries that she worries too much! The Ticket was a Selah Award and Operation First Novel finalist. She is a co-writer of the screenplay for Jess + Moss, a feature film which premiered in 2011 at the Sundance Film Festival. She loves to travel and plans to use her travel experiences to enhance settings in future work.

Website and Blog: www.debracolemanjeter.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debra.c.jeter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebColemanJeter
Trailer on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FYTKJdd7Gqw Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1941103863/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/njjeter/the-ticket-a-novel/

The Stuff Inside

Seventeen years ago today, I was in a hospital bed holding my newborn baby girl. Drunk on hormones and lack of sleep, I held her in my arms and fell hard. Smitten, irrevocably besotted with this tiny person that would turn my world inside out. I cried when I had to cut her nails for the first time. Seriously? How could anyone trust me to do that right? Yet somehow we both survived without too much bloodshed. I bathed her without drowning her, I rocked her to sleep without breaking her and now seventeen years down the line, she is a beautiful young lady with the ability to turn my world the right way up on those days when it's too top-heavy for me.

I didn't always think I could do this mothering thing, but somehow we muddled through.

Eleven years ago, I started stringing words together. I sold some of them to magazines, but then Jesus pushed my button and I thought about writing a book. A whole book. All eighty thousand words of book. Seriously? Who could trust me to do that right? Yet eleven years later, I'm finishing up my third. Sure, sleep got short-changed, tears were cried and there may have been some bloodshed, but we muddled through.

When Jesus tells you to do something you're not entirely sure you can, it's best not to argue. Take a look at what He's planted in you. Dreams and hopes, desires... the things that make you come alive. You can be sure He didn't plant them there for nothing.

Breathe deep and step off the edge.
Watch the floodgates open.
See His Life and Love pour out of you.

Has Jesus been pushing your buttons? Tell us more...

Dianne J. Wilson is a South African author, who squeezes out words a few hundred at a time in between doing admin for a dance studio and mothering her three girls.

Her first novel, Shackles, is available as a free ebook.

Her second, Finding Mia, releases from Harbourlight on the 19th of June 2015.

Her third, Affinity, is a batch of flapjacks away from being  ready to go out to beta readers.

Writing and the Ripple Effect

Another blog recently declared writing is not a waste of time http://christianwritersdownunder.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/its-not-waste-of-time-by-nola-passmore_31.html?showComment=1396393017724#c4508681362741438087 I found it, as I know others did, good to read because sometimes it can feel that way.  But often there a ripple effect from a piece of writing and God is working in ways we may not know about.

 

Several times I have bought a book after reading a review on either this site or one of the others Nola mentioned or on Goodreads. At one stage I bought several copies of one book, Deeper Places, after reading a review. I read it and loved it and hope those I gifted books to do too.

Just recently I gave a friend, two books for her birthday. One was the book mentioned above, which she hasn’t started yet. The other was Captured by Calvary by Ray Hawkins.  A little while after  her birthday I received a card from my friend  who said, ’Just had to drop you a line share how much Captured by Calvary has been such a source of enlightenment, conviction and challenges  this writer has given me these past 14 days. ‘  She intends buying ‘twelve copies of this book for others to be blessed also.’  She also said she had been able to use some of the thoughts expressed in the book in her devotional talks for Girls’ Brigade.

So sometimes after we’ve read a review or bought or gifted a book, we don’t know how God will choose to use that writer’s words and what impact it will make on others. When I posted the books off to my friend I hoped she would enjoy them, so I was thrilled to hear her response. I then asked her if I could pass this information onto the author to encourage him and she readily agreed. But why just email Ray Hawkins with the news?  Why not instead let others here know so we can see the effect one book can have on others?

Having been with me in prayer since the start of my writing journey, my friend knows what a roller coaster ride it can be. Some days you can feel on top of the world when a publisher says yes, or someone loves your book or you get an email telling you what a blessing it was. Other days a bad review, lack of sales or a rejection letter is enough to knock you flat and can leave you very much wondering if it is worth it. So I think it is important for us writers to try and encourage other writers, particularly Christian writers, so they do not get discouraged and give up. I’d love to hear how you have been able to encourage another writer or how  they have encouraged you.

 

Dale writes fiction, poetry and children’s fiction, and has written bible studies and Sunday school lessons. More information about Dale can be found at www.daleharcombe.com or on her Write and Read with Dale blog http://www.livejournal.com/users/orangedale/

 

 

Mysterious Ways

  Recently my book club assigned a book on the pursuit of happiness.  I was a bit dubious  before opening the book, after all, I hold to the philosophy that happiness cannot be found by seeking it.  I'm in good company. Aristotle held that one could find genuine happiness only in a life of virtue and just action. John Stuart Mill famously declared,  Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so.
An even more poignant assessment of happiness comes from Holocaust survivor, Victor Frankl. 

Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. 

   So, I admit I began the book with a bias but nothing I read changed my view.  I found the premise inward looking, suggesting all life decisions should be made on the basis of what would result in personal happiness, not what would serve the greater good.  For me, the author appeared shallow and self-centred.  
    Convinced I was done with the whole happiness thing, I closed the book and crafted a negative review for my book club.

   But the story doesn't end there.  Because one book irritated me so much, I found another that has filled my soul and opened my eyes to grace in a thousand ways.  The book is One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  Here the author recounts how she challenged herself to write down one thousand blessings that she already has, one thousand ways to find grace and soul-joy in the midst of every day life with all its hurts and ugliness as well as its moments of beauty and peace.

    The writing is dense, layered and poetic.  This is not a book I can read in a few sittings.  I read two or three pages, then put it down and contemplate Ann's words, taking time to process and discover the deepest meaning.  I'd objected to the first book as being too shallow, this one took me deep and then deeper, into the heart and mind of a true follower of Christ.  No mere "pursuit of happiness" here.  On these pages, the reader follows the struggle to find Christ in moments of pain or disfigurement or bereavement.  
     This book has enlarged me, opened me, filled me . . . and I can't stop talking about it.
     Without the first book, I might never have found the second.  I thank God and His mysterious ways for bringing me to One Thousand Gifts.
I highly recommend this book, the first item on my gratitude list.  What's on yours?

A writer, a reader, a gardener and a knitter, a singer, a teacher, a learner and a wife, Alice is now starting her own gratitude list.  One thousand seems like a very great number but no where near the number of blessings God has showered on me.  
I hang out at www.alicevaldal.com or atfacebook.com/#!/alice.valdal.5

Teaching the Family to Read

I was never an avid reader as a child, but I did read. I remember a fondness for Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books and The Secret Seven. As I progressed into my teen years, I read the odd Wilbur Smith or Sydney Sheldon. In those days, Christian fiction was unheard of as yet.

The first Christian novel I read was Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness. I quickly found the sequel, Piercing the Darkness and devoured that. I’d had a taste and wanted more. It was then that my brother introduced me to Ted Dekker and for some years I lived off my brother’s acquisitions by these two authors. 

From that early start in reading Christian fiction, I moved on to Eric Wilson’s books, now my favorite male author and have amassed as many of his books as I could. Over the years I started reading works by female authors like Francine Rivers, Brandilyn Collins, Liz Curtis Higgs, Susan Meissner, Sharlene McLaren, Mary DeMuth, Lisa Harris, and a myriad of other talented writers. I’m continually adding to my library and my list of favorite authors is growing steadily. I’ll definitely have to buy another bookshelf soon, though where I’d put it in my house, heaven only knows.

While growing up, my sons loved having Dad read Goosebumps at night under the covers. It was giggles galore as their father ad-libbed his own lines to their favorite ghost stories, or  Donald Duck, Micky Mouse, Harry Potter and the likes. Bedtime stories were fun and games, but that’s about as far as reading went—for my husband and sons.

My youngest, Kyle, went through a short-lived spate of reading around age twelve. His brother never caught on. However, since Kyle went on missionary training in 2011 and is now in the mission field, his reading has soared to new heights, albeit a non-fiction height— especially his all-time favorite, the Bible.

With both my boys getting married last year, leaving hubby and I in an empty house, I’ve slowly started to teach him the art of reading. So while I’m up in my office writing, he’s often lying in bed enjoying a good book—from my selection. He’s hooked on Brandilyn Collins, has read some of my Ted Dekker novels, and has recently finished the latest book by Tracy Groot, Flame of Resistence, a Second World War novel. To my delight, he immediately asked, “What can I read next?”

I pulled out Black by Ted Dekker, the first in the Circle trilogy, then pushed it back into the bookrack and decided on my all-time favorite, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.

He smiled. “I was wondering if you were going to give me that one.”

I’m looking forward to his opinion. In little over a week, he was almost half way through the book, and thoroughly enjoying the story. I do know he won’t be the first man to cite this as his favorite novel.

What about you? What are your family’s reading habits? Have you had to teach them the beautiful art of reading? I’d love to hear your stories or just drop a comment and let me know about your favorite books or who your favorite authors are.

Shedding Light

Just as there are some people who make you feel good about yourself, there are others who, without saying a word, diminish you just by the type of person they are. Someone I know is extremely enthusiastic involved in community activities, friendly and talks easily to anyone. Yet I find this person so over the top that I am overwhelmed and end up shrinking in on myself whenever they are around. It’s not that I don’t like this person. I do and wish I could be more like her. It’s not the way God meant us to be, comparing ourselves with others. Yet she makes me feel inadequate. And it’s not even a conscious decision on my part. It just happens whenever we are in close proximity. Inadequacy and inferiority rears their ugly heads. It’s like this person sucks all the life and light out of me.

When it comes to light I admit to a fascination with lighthouses. Not that I would like to live in one. I’ve read a couple of books about it and it feels like an isolating experience. But there’s something about the whole concept of a lighthouse shining light into the darkness and being a beacon and warning to sailors of the dangers in the sea that presents a beautiful picture. Here is a photo of a lighthouse taken on a recent trip further down the south coast.

 

When I read the words of Jesus where He says ‘I am the light of the world,’ I tend to picture a lighthouse, standing tall and strong and straight, guiding people on the way with its shining light.

 

I’ve read a couple of books recently which have been amazing and yet disappointing in some ways. Largely in the language used and the way characters are presented.  While the story lines were interesting, it was a challenge to read books where the morals and language go against what I believe in.  However if the story line is compelling enough I will persevere despite my own reservations. That doesn’t stop me from commenting about what I perceive to be those negative aspects in a review though. You can find my reviews at Goodreads. This is one such review http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17622847-three-hours-late?ac=1 and sometimes I post reviews on my blog. http://www.livejournal.com/users/orangedale/Other believers may choose a different option. They may choose to read only Christian fiction or only nonfiction. But none of us should stand in judgement on another believer if they choose differently.

When it comes to my own writing, I believe I am called to present a different perspective to that presented by the world. That doesn’t mean writing sugar coated stories where no-one has any problems, but writing realistically about the world and providing some hope. Those who are called to be followers of Jesus are called to be different. Therefore what we choose to write about and the way we write it is also called to be different, like a lighthouse shining a beacon in the darkness. Would you agree? What are you doing to shine a light in the darkness of this world?

Streets on a Map, is now available from Amazon as an E book. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=streets+on+a+map+by+dale+harcombe Dale has had seven children’s books and Kaleidoscope a collection of poetry published. She has also written bible studies and Sunday school lessons. For several years she wrote about Christian living, marriage and home related topics More information about Dale can be found at www.daleharcombe.com or on her Write and Read with Dale blog  http://www.livejournal.com/users/orangedale/

A Pleasing Aroma?

I adore light cotton Indian clothes. They are so pretty, cool and comfortable to wear.  Yet I rarely go into a shop that sells them.  Why? Because the majority of the shops selling them insist on filling the premises with incense and I can’t stand the overpowering smell of it. The after effects are not worth it. It makes me feel nauseous for ages afterwards. With some shops , and I am thinking of one in particular , I cannot even walk past it or go into any of the shops near it because of the pervasive smell.  I simply avoid that whole part of the shopping centre. My husband laughs. He barely registers the smell at all and doesn’t understand my problem. He obviously doesn’t have the same sensitivity to smell that I do. So if ever I get an Indian cotton skirt it is, because my darling husband has gone and bought it for me as he sometimes does for birthday or Christmas gifts. Then it gets hung in the breeze until the smell has disappeared from it.

The smell of flowers is another one that can be a problem. I love flowers, especilly if they are blue.

 

But there are two I cannot cope with. Gardenia and lavender both have a similar effect on me. I know many people claim lavender is calming and useful for relaxation. Some people sprinkle it on their pillows to induce sleep. Not in my household.  All lavender does is give me a violent headache. And as for eating lavender ice-cream and biscuits as I have read about in books, Never in a million year is that going to happen!

The whole sensitivity to smell issue started me thinking about how people react differently to things and how some smells leave a distinctly unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth.  Perhaps it’s no different with writing. What impression or aftertaste is left with readers after reading one of our blog posts or one of our books?

 Recently I read a novel which, while skilfully written, left me with a peculiar aftertaste. All I could think of was I was glad I had not lived with such a family of disagreeable and selfish people and why had I invested time in reading about such horrible people. That has actually been my reaction to a few novels lately, which is sad.

How much better it is to leave people feeling hopeful or feeling thankful for what they have. That doesn’t mean everyone in the story has to be so nice they come across as not real. That can be just as much a problem, as it is too sugary sweet.  It’s okay for characters to display negative characteristics. They need them so they are real and complex rather than one dimensional. It’s okay for them to have problems they need to work through. In fact without them and without displaying some negative characteristics at times there will probably not be much of a story. But the ending needs to leave the reader satisfied and feeling hopeful that the character has learned something. If a character doesn’t change at all during the course of a novel, then what is the point? That doesn’t mean it has to have a happy ending where every problem is solved.  Sometimes that can be unrealistic. Sometimes its better to leave some issues unresolved for the character to work on. But it does mean there should be a glimmer of hope and satisfaction.

Have you ever read a book and it’s not grabbing you but you keep reading, thinking it must get better. Then you get to the end and feel like throwing it against the wall. ‘What was the point?’ you mutter.

These days I rarely bother to keep reading unless a book involves me. All the pretty writing and beautifully constructed sentences in the world are not enough to keep me reading if I cannot engage with the characters. What we want as writers is for people to become so involved they don’t want to put the book down. They want to know about those characters and what happens to them even after the story is finished. A book that can keep people thinking about the characters after they have closed the last page is a treasure indeed.  Thankfully, I’ve read a few books like that. What a joy it is!  Isn’t that the type of effect we would like to have with our writing? I know it is with mine which is why I keep tinkering with the opening chapter and working so hard to get it right on my next novel, Sandstone Madonna. You can read a little about that work in progress on my blog. The same applies to the nonfiction project I’m working on. I need to get it right.

Don’t we want to leave a pleasing aroma behind us? In our lives and in our writing are we spreading ‘the fragrance of the knowledge’ of Jesus.  Whether we write fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose I would hope we are ‘an aroma of Christ.’ That doesn’t mean that everyone in our books has to become a Christian but we should be able to show people who clearly live out their faith and how that affects the choices they make in life, as well as those who do not and the consequences of their choices.

Some of the books that have left a positive lasting impression on me recently for different reasons are Soul Friend, Tangled Secrets, The Greenfield Legacy, The Last Runaway, Unsaid, Love Anthony, Friendship Bread, One Breath Away, and Bethlehem’s Baby Warrior.  Some are aimed at the Christian market others are secular books but they all left a beautiful aroma and something to think about behind them. I’d love to hear what books have had that effect on you recently.

 

Streets on a Map, was published by Ark House Press. Prior to that Dale has had seven children’s books and Kaleidoscope a collection of poetry published.

Along with her husband, Dale was for a time houseparent for a family of twelve boys. She has also been a manuscript assessor and book reviewer and run creative writing classes. She has also written bible studies and Sunday school lessons. For several years she wrote about Christian living, marriage and home related topics for www.families.com. She has a BA in Literary and Australian studies. More information about Dale can be found at www.daleharcombe.com or on her Write and Read with Dale blog http://www.livejournal.com/users/orangedale/

 

Promotion of books – Pain or Pleasure?

My husband and I have been getting excited the last couple of days as we have seen for the first time the cover for his new book in his 31 Day Devotional meditation series. Captured by Calvary will hopefully be available around Easter time this year.
Then we became excited to discover that my out of print, inspirational romance back list of books will be released again as e-books. So, here is the preliminary announcements of these books. We are excited but know these contracts will also bring us both great pleasure but some  pain too as we try to promote them so people will know about them and hopefully be able to buy them. Our prayer has always been that God will use these efforts to bless, challenge and entertain our readers

For some time now, I’ve been realising how fortunate I was back in the 1990s about how much personal promotion I was expected to do for my published books. Certainly, I was very busy then too. There were a couple of contributions to the Heartsong Presents Book Club newsletter. I contacted Christian bookshops and an Australian distributor to shops about my books published by Barbour. I had a book-signing for my first medical romance from Harlequin Mills & Boon. I joined writers’ groups, especially Romance Writers of Australia, went to writer conferences. I had as many speaking appointments as I could that focused on my writing efforts.

Sounds busy? Yes of course it was, but even though I had teenage children still at home for most of the time and was a busy “minister’s wife”, I simply had more time to actually write my novels than I seem to these days. Of course, being older now too doesn’t help but there simply seems to be so much more promotion and publicity I need to do now and thus far less time to work on this current manuscript.

The main culprit seems to be the internet. There is so much information on other writer’s blogs, websites, newsletters etc to try and read to keep up with not only books by my own favourite authors, but current trends in Christian fiction, publishers, conferences and all that we need to keep up to date with and know as published authors in this writing career.

And now my dear husband is discovering how much he too should be doing about promoting his books. Until now he has quite vigorously resisted getting involved in having his own website, his own blog and especially his own Facebook wall. As you know only too well it has been great sharing my blog with Ray and also the information about him and his writing on my (our) website. But as I mentioned to him today, when anyone would do a Google search for Ray Hawkins to find out more about him and his writing, would they find many sites? Would they find out both his 31 Day devotional books are also e-books?

I have had to spend heaps and heaps of time learning about websites, how to publish blog posts and about Facebook, how to have an “internet presence”. Now it is time to make sure Ray knows how to do these things – and eventually without my help!without my help!

However, I hope he too discovers that while promotion, especially on the internet will take time, there is also often great pleasure in hearing from readers, connecting with other writers and learning from them– especially those targeting the same kind of audience as ourselves.

So often pain and pleasure can go hand in hand. Discipline and having a God directed priority will keep it more pleasure than pain. Of course, what I really need is a secretary/helper to do some of the “business” of writing for me, but that is still just a dream.

Okay, this is where I am at the moment – enjoying making contact with readers of my blog and Facebook, but suffering “pain” too because of the time it all takes me away from writing my books. Would love to have some comments about how you cope with your own responsibilities and, if a published author, what you do to make time to write your next book.

Oh, and by the way, you will be hearing a lot more about books from Mary Hawkins and Ray Hawkins in coming days!

Mary Hawkins is a best-selling inspirational romance author. A Queensland farmer’s daughter, she became a registered nurse before going to Bible College. She and her minister husband have three adult children and five grandchildren, enjoyed over 47 years of ministry including church planting in Australia, two years in England, three short term mission trips to Africa and now live in Tasmania, Australia's island state. Her first inspirational romance novel, Search For Tomorrow was released in 1993 Barbour Publishing's Heartsong Presents book club which was recently sold to Harlequin. 19th title, Justice at Baragula was released May, 2011.
Read more about her books, her husband Ray and his devotional books on their blog from the website: http://www.mary-hawkins.com/

Will your book make a good film?

by Fiona Veitch Smith

With the recent high-profile release of the film version of John La Carré’s Tinker Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Pan, 1974) it got me thinking about what type of books make good films and what you need to consider if you would like your book adapted to screen.

1. Is your book a classic or a bestseller?

Film producers like adapting classic books because a) they are usually out of copyright and b) they have a fervent following which will guarantee bums on seats. They also like modern bestsellers because of the guaranteed audience base and the ability to piggy-back on existing book marketing. Consider for instance The Golden Compass (the adaptation of the first in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series).

2. Does your book have a commercially viable niche audience?

Smaller independent producers might take a chance on books with a niche or ‘cult’ following. I ghost-wrote the true-life story of Elizabeth Robertson Campbell (The Choice, Bridge Logos, 2007) and it is now being pitched to film producers on the basis of it selling well in a certain market and dealing with universal themes of love and betrayal that go down well with cinema audiences. I am also in discussions with a producer to adapt an award-winning novel I edited for the South African market. This film might not make it to Hollywood, but may do well enough in a niche market to make it worth the producer’s while.

3. Is your story the right ‘size’ for a film?

The first adaptation of Tinker, Tailor was for BBC television in 1977. It was an almost word-for-word rendition and took seven hours. Ben Hur (Lew Wallace, 1880) was adapted into nearly four hours of screen-time and Spartacus (initially self-published by Howard Fast in 1951) was just over three hours. But a lot was still cut out. Nowadays, it is rare to have a film over two hours. Only the final book in the Harry Potter series was split across two films. The other six were significantly condensed to squeeze into two hours. The question is: will your book’s story still hold up if it is cut? You may have to go the other way and expand parts of your plot. This is often the case in children’s books that struggle to stretch to 90-minute screen-time. The 2010 adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Fantastic Mr Fox is a case in point.

4. Is your book written in three ‘acts’?

Most mainstream films are based on what is known as ‘classical three-act structure’. This is a theory of story construction first codified by Aristotle in the 4th Century BC. It is sometimes still used in theatre, frequently in ‘genre’ novels and extensively in Hollywood-style films. I don’t have the space to go into it here, but check out this link for more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_structure. If your book is already written in three-act structure it will adapt more easily to screen than if it isn’t. But beware, a book in three parts does not automatically mean you’ve used three-act structure. My soon-to-be-released e-book The Peace Garden is written in three-parts, but does not fully utilise three-act structure. An adaptation would likely expand on the middle section and change the POV from Natalie to Gladwin (his story arc does have a three-act structure while hers doesn’t).

5. Are you prepared for the screenwriter to deviate from your original story?

Novels and films are different media and need to be treated differently. If you are not prepared for changes to be made to your story to suit the new medium, you should not consider having your book adapted. Once you have signed away your adaptation rights, you will give the screenwriter and director creative control. The producers of the film will make the final decision about how many changes they believe the audience will accept, not the author.

Fiona Veitch Smith writes fiction and lectures in writing for stage and screen at Northumbria University. She writes picture books for children and suspense novels for young adults and adults. She also writes non-fiction and devotional material as well as scripts for the stage and screen. She lectures in writing for the media and scriptwriting. She runs a writing advice site www.thecraftywriter.com

CHRISTMAS BOOK SIGNING BASH--By Christine Lindsay

I'm excited today to do 2 things: Promote fellow writers and make an announcement. Drum roll....

The announcement is---I've just been given my very own first contract by WhiteFire Publishing for my historical novel UNVEILED, internationally set in India circa 1919.

The release date is yet to be set, but it will be 2011 for sure. If you like exotic settings and books similar to M. M. Kaye's Far Pavilions or Linda Chaikin's Heart Of India series then I'm fairly certain you'll like UNVEILED, a love story set during the turbulent last years of the British Raj. If you'd like to read more about me and UNVEILED, see the blurb at the end of this posting.

And now to promoting my fellow writers:

* 75 Christian Authors * One Amazing Online Event

Christian Review of Books in conjunction with Cross Purposes Bookstore is excited to announce the first annual Christmas Book Signing Bash.

Beginning on the day after Thanksgiving and lasting ten days (26 November
- 7 December), this book signing will be an unprecedented online event. 75
of today’s favorite Christian Authors have come together to answer
questions, chat with their readers, and offer signed copies of their
books—all without leaving the comforts of home and hearth!

Readers can search by author, title, or genre at the Christian Review of
Books Christian Review of Books and then follow the purchase links to Cross Purposes Bookstore and buy autographed copies of each book featured. The authors will sign the books and ship them to the customers.

For a full list of participating authors, visit the Christian Review of Books

Take a look at this fine selection of Christian novels and non-fictional work. These are authors I am proud to be aligned with, especially my fellow members of the International Christian Writers Blog. who are also participants in the Christmas Book Signing Bash--Lisa Harris and Grace Bridges, and ICFW guest P.A. Baines. As well as the books by another ICFW guest, Roseanna White, also of WhiteFire Publishing.

As for me and UNVEILED, it's early days, but I hope you'll journey with me on this aspect of writing--publication--that is my first time round. It's with great joy that I look forward to the day when my novel about the beginning of the end of 300-year-old British Raj is set into print . . . to the day when Abby's story about the desire to be looked upon with the eyes of love is read . . . and that of Major Geoff Richards, who after the trauma of WWI, learns joy can still be found in the land of the living.

If you'd like to read more about UNVEILED, then I invite you to my blogsite Christine Lindsay.

What makes you buy a book? Part 2

Thanks so much to all of you who participated in my poll! As I said in my last post, as I work to promote Blood Ransom, primarily on the web, I am trying to see what types of promotion works the best. So that brought me to ask the question, what is it that catches our eye as a reader so we're willing to buy that one book out of the thousands that are for sale out there.

*Out of the thirty-eight people who voted, twenty-eight said that it was the author that compelled them to buy a book.

*Second, at twenty-six votes, was the back cover blurb.

*Coming in at a close third, with twenty votes, was word of mouth.

*The other significant vote was the cover art at 15 votes. It's worth mentioning as well, that online/newspaper reviews was next in line with 10 votes, which ties in closely with word of mouth.

Where we live, the nearest bookstore is several hundred miles away and the mail isn't reliable enough to have things sent to us, so when I do have a chance to buy books (often when we are back in the States with limited luggage), I have to choose carefully. For me, I definitely agree with the top three choices, though the back cover blurb and word of mouth/online reviews are probably even more important to me than the author. There are some authors that I like to read all their books, but I'm also always interested in finding a new voice in my favorite genres.

What about you? Were you surprised with the answers or did you agree with them? Let me know what you think!

Lisa
_________________________________________________________________________


Lisa Harris is an award-winning author of twenty novels and novellas. She lives with her husband and their three children in Mozambique, Africa, where they work as missionaries. When she’s not busy writing or home schooling, she loves traveling, cooking different ethnic foods, and going on game drives through the African bush.

Visit her website or her blog for information on Blood Ransom--that releases this month, and all her books.

BOOKS, BOOKS, EVERYWHERE . . .

by Marion Ueckermann

One of the most fascinating places I visited when we lived in Ireland was the library at Trinity College in Dublin. It is the largest research library in Ireland, containing around 5 million printed volumes and a vast number of manuscripts, maps and music.

The most famous book in this amazing library is located in the Old Library. The Book of Kells, a 9th-century gospel manuscript celebrated for its lavish decoration and called the ‘most beautiful book in the world’, has worldwide fame. Containing the four Gospels in Latin based on a Vulgate text, this manuscript is written on vellum in a script known as “insular majuscule”. Thousands of rare and very early volumes have also found their home in the Old Library.

Upstairs from where the Book of Kells is kept on view with other manuscripts, is the magnificent Long Room built between 1712 and 1732. Around 200,000 antiquarian tomes, tucked inside 21alcoves, grace the double-storey oak bookcases in a 65 meter long (213 ft) by 12.8 meter (42 ft) wide chamber with wainscoting and ceiling of old Irish oak. The sight is staggering! When I stood in this grandiose room, staring up into the 12.6 meter high (41 ft) timber barrel vaulted ceiling, I heard my youngest son, aged 10, whisper beside me, “I want to come and study here one day.” Unfortunately, we returned to South Africa before that dream could become a reality.

A collection of 14 marble busts began in 1743 of the great philosophers and writers of the western world like Jonathan Swift. Today, 48 white heads of wisdom, eminent contributors to knowledge, line each side of the Long Room: Socrates, Homer, Plato, Demosthenes, Shakespeare, Bacon and Dean Swift to name but a few.

On this vellum manuscript seen on the left from the Book of Kells, are the opening words of St. John. I’d like to recount the true story of Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish from another part of John’s gospel, however.

In chapter 21, the risen Lord speaks to his disciples from the shore and tells them to throw their nets on the right side of the boat – they will find some fish there. Perhaps more a miracle than the catch was the fact that after a hard night’s work they still listened to the voice of a stranger on the beach, for they didn’t realize yet that it was Jesus. But maybe they were just tired of coming up empty-netted that they felt, “What the heck – one last cast can’t hurt . . .”

However, when the nets began to team with fish, they immediately realized only one person could know what lay beneath the depths of the sea – the One who had created it all. And Peter (don’t you just love him), true to his nature, plunges into the water, once again braving the waves to be with his Lord.

The writer ends the chapter stating that Jesus did many other things. But he felt that the world would not have room for all the books that would be written had all his miracles been documented.

Take a few moments to think of the bookshops and libraries in your immediate suburb. Think of the number of books stacked side by side in those places. Then think of these establishments in your city, and add the number of volumes they contain. Cast your mind even further afield to your country; and wider still, your continent. Then other continents; encompass the globe. Move to the ends of the earth – cyberspace. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, inter alia. It’s mind boggling to think of the myriad of books currently in print, resting on shelves, hiding in boxes, or stacked on floors. And the writer, John, suspects that the world would not have room to contain the books that would be written had all Jesus’ miracles been penned.

As a group of Christian fiction writers and readers, let’s focus on historical novels based on the miracles and life of Jesus Christ. I’ve listed a few that I know of, most gracing the very shelves of my study. I’ve grouped these under authors, placing in brackets what miracle or part of Jesus’ life the story is based on.

Why not take a trip to your own bookshelf, nearest bookstore or library, or even just down memory lane, and add to my list in the same manner in the comment section below? Let’s share what fascinating stories emanating from the life of Christ are out there for us to read.


Tracy Groot: (see Author Interview and Book Giveaway next month)

- The Brother’s Keeper 
(Tells the story of the latter part of Jesus’ ministry, up through his death and resurrection, as seen through the eyes of His own family.)

- Stones of My Accusers 
(Reveals the transforming difference Christ’s mercy makes through the lives of several compelling characters.)

- Madman 
(The story behind the Geresene demoniac of the gospels of Mark and Luke.)

Liz Curtis Higgs:

- Unveiling Mary Magdalene
(Modern day story closely paralleling the biblical account of Mary Magdalene. This book takes a Novel Approach to bible study. The fictional story is followed by study of Mary Magdalene and her life-changing encounters with Christ.)

Amy Deardon:

- A Lever Long Enough
(Travel back in time to first century Jerusalem to see if the Resurrection really happened.)

J Fletcher Ray:

- The Hand that Drove the Nails
(The story of the man who crucified Jesus.)

Gene Edwards:

- The Prisoner in the Third Cell
(A dramatic story of John the Baptist, imprisoned by Herod and awaiting death, struggles to understand a Lord who did not live up to his expectations.)

- The Day I was Crucified
(As told by Jesus the Christ.)

- The Divine Romance
(From the grandeur of Creation to the glorious union of the Savior and his bride, God's majestic love sweeps through time, space, and eternity in this greatest of all love stories.)

The Chronicles of the Door series (now titled The Chronicles of Heaven):
- The Beginning (Creation)
- The Escape (Exodus)
- The Birth (Christ’s birth)
- The Triumph (Christ’s betrayal and death)
- The Return (Christ’s return)

(I’ve listed even the Old Testament stories in the above series as they reveal the zenith of creation . . . the death and resurrection of Christ)
 

MARION UECKERMANN’s writing passion was sparked in 2001 when she moved to Ireland with her husband and two sons. Since then Marion has been honing her skills and has published some devotional articles in Winners at Work as well as inspirational poetry online and in a poetry journal. She has written her first Christian Women’s novel (unpublished) and is currently completing the sequel. Marion now lives in Pretoria East, South Africa with her husband, sons and a crazy black ‘Scottie’. A member and moderator of the South African Christian Writers Group, Marion can be contacted via email on marionu(at)telkomsa(dot)net or through her website www.inkslinger.co.cc