Four Myths Non-Writers Believe, by Iola Goulton

I’ve always been a reader. A bookworm, if you like. And like many readers, I also wanted to be a writer. Specifically, a novelist. I won two school writing competitions in high school and even went on a creative writing camp, but the endless essays of high school and university didn’t leave much time for personal reading or writing.

I started reading for pleasure again when I got a job, but not writing: I already spent enough hours a day in front of a computer, writing client reports and our company newsletter. I had one colleague whose wife was writing a novel. I asked how it was progressing: he said she was still in the research phase, which was going to take her a year. I asked a few more times but stopped asking when I got a look that said she wasn’t making much progress (or not making as much as her husband thought she ought to be making).

I had another colleague who announced one day that he’d finished his novel. I asked when it was going to be published. Yes, I really thought it was that easy.

When I started researching the craft of writing and the business of publishing, I soon realised that many of my assumptions were incorrect. In particular, there were four myths I believed about writing:

• Anyone can write a novel.

• Writing is a good way to earn some extra cash.

• Getting a novel published is easy.

• Writers write. The publisher does the rest.

Are you laughing yet? Or do some of my naïve ideas sound eerily familiar? I’ve since discovered my ideas were misguided. But I’ve also discovered there is an element of truth in some of them.

Anyone can write a novel.

This is both wrong and right. Anyone can type 80,000 words and call it a novel. Slapping a cover on it and uploading to Amazon isn’t hard (it can’t be, given the quality of some of the novels on Amazon).

But writing a good novel is hard, and not just ‘anyone’ can do it. It takes patience, perseverance, and practice. And most people don’t make it.

Writing is an easy way to earn some extra cash.

If you’re prepared to make money writing scam recipe books (using recipes copied from dodgy websites) or scam self-help books (using advice copied from wacko websites) or other scam books (using information copied from Wikipedia), then yes, writing can be an easy way to earn extra cash. Even better, hire someone on Fiverr to ghostwrite (or ghostcopy) the book for you.

But is that writing? It’s certainly not the writing dream so many people have. In reality, pursuing a career as a writer, especially a novelist, is going to cost you a lot of money before you earn anything from it. And most writers also have a day job to pay the bills.

Getting a novel published is easy. 

Check out your local bookstore. Check out the publishers of those novels. Getting your novel published by one of those publishers isn’t easy. It’s a long way from easy.

But the advent of vanity publishers and self-publishing make it easy to publish a novel. Any vanity press will take your money, tell you you’ve written the next great American (or Australian or British or Canadian or New Zealand) novel, and for another $10,000 they’ll be able to put your novel in front of influential Hollywood producers (and take a first-class holiday in some swanky resort).

But self-publishing platforms such as Amazon, DrafttoDigital, iBooks, Kobo and Smashwords do provide newbie authors with a way of getting their novels published and printed and on sale. And it’s not difficult. But authors soon find that writing and publishing was the easy part . . .

Writers write. The publisher does the rest.

This is the final myth, and is one that continues to drive new authors to traditional publishers. They don’t want to be involved in the publishing or the marketing. They want to write. Period. The problem with this myth is that all authors, no matter how they are published, all authors have to do more than write.

Even traditional publishers expect authors to contribute to their marketing efforts. At the very least, these will include a website (which the author pays for), social media profiles and regular updates (which the author undertakes herself, or pays someone else to manage), and attendance at certain industry events and conferences (which the author pays for). These efforts may or may not sell books.

Self-published authors have sole responsibility for marketing — there is no one else. They can just write, but then it’s likely no one will buy their books.

Myth or Truth?

Yes, there is an element of truth in each of these four myths. But more myth than truth. Oh, well. Back to the writing . .  .

Writers, what myths have you heard that you now know aren’t true?

Readers, what do you believe about writers that might not be true?

IOLA GOULTON lives with her husband, two teenagers and cat in the sunny Bay of Plenty in New Zealand, between Hobbiton and the Kiwifruit Capital of the World. She holds a degree in marketing, has a background in human resource consulting and freelance editing, is active in her local church and plays in a brass band.

Iola is a reader, reviewer and freelance editor who is currently writing her first novel, contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist, and her first non-fiction book, which aims to help first-time authors navigate the changing world of Christian publishing.

Connect with Iola at www.iolagoulton.com (a work in progress she’s trying not to be overwhelmed by!) and www.christianreads.blogspot.com.

Should You Be Writing? by David Rawlings

For the past few months, I’ve had a thought at the back of my mind, casting a long shadow of doubt over my confidence. You see, seven weeks ago, I entered my manuscript into the Genesis competition at American Christian Fiction Writers.

I’ve been through seven-week waits before – everything from bank approvals to finance a family home to hoping my football team would finally win another game. But this one has been far more intense. From the moment I clicked “send” on my entry to now, that long shadow of doubt has stretched across my thinking. Should I have changed that first line? Should I have given my character another name or tried to shoehorn in some kind of romance/fantasy/sci-fi/young adult angle, just in case? (My book is contemporary fiction.)

So why is the wait so difficult? Surely it’s just a competition, whereby someone wins and countless others don’t. I’ve entered competitions since I was a kid, cutting out coupons from cereal boxes or carefully coloring in between the lines. I know how it works. But none of those competitions came with this kind of . . . what?

Then God revealed a word to me: Validation. This was important to me because it seemed if I could be deemed a Finalist, then I could confidently call myself a writer. Validation is a current that runs through our world. People seek to be validated about their looks, their careers, their possessions, their opinions, and their connections. The media is crammed with it; social media drips with it.

I’ve come to realize this is especially the case in the creative field. Writers, painters, artists, and dancers, we all need acceptance, not just for what we do, but for who we are, which is often defined by what we do.

This is strange for me. I’m ALREADY a writer. I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts that I’ve been writing for 25 years as a copywriter for businesses, government departments, and not-for-profits. My work with words puts food on my family’s table. But these words have always been someone else’s story, copy that bares someone else’s soul for the marketplace. Now it’s my soul that’s been bared.

Maybe it’s because until I'm published I won’t feel like a writer. Maybe until someone recognizes my talent or calling, I'll doubt whether or not I can - or should - do this. Or maybe it’s even deeper; this isn't validation that I can write but that I’ve got something to say.

Then God challenged me with this verse from Jeremiah: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

That’s been my challenge for these seven weeks.  God knows me.  Sure, it’s important to connect with the right publisher or agent, or to have my work recognized as a step to being published, but the God who created me, knows me.

I am ALREADY validated.

Maybe that’s your challenge, as well. If you’re awaiting feedback from competition judges or a publisher, or even if you get a rejection letter from an agent, I would encourage you to look past the moment and realize this: we don’t need validation. The One who created us knows us.

Isn’t that enough validation for those of us who feel called to write?

Based in Adelaide, South Australia, David Rawlings is a father-of-three with his own copywriting business who reads everything within an arm’s reach.

He is published in the non-fiction arena and is now focused on writing contemporary Christian fiction. These stories explore God, people, 21st century church and our modern society with humor and a satirical eye. And, in order to have more time to write, he is currently trying to find an extra day in the week . . . without much success. You can follow David on his blog: http://davidrawlings.com.au/ or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidJRawlings.

I Am a Writer, by Jebraun Clifford

"And what do you do?" he asks me. Not in an accusing tone but with sincere interest. I'm working at one of my myriad paid and unpaid jobs and I quickly think of all the hats I've worn in the past and the many I wear today. Wife. Mother. Homemaker. These are the responsibilities closest to my heart. Pastor. Teacher. Friend. Ditto. Sister? Difficult as I live 10,000 kilometres from my siblings. Student? Not for a long time, unless you count a student of life.

Sometimes I work at a picture framing and art supply business and that's where I am today. I help an artist pick out an easel and we talk about various mediums. He likes acrylic and I (very infrequently) dabble in watercolour.

"But what do you really do?" he asks.

And for the first time ever, I announce my newly reclaimed identity. "I am a writer."

"Really? Well, good on you. The world needs more of that, doesn't it?" His eyes crinkle as I slide the easel into the carry-case and take his bank card. He doesn't even ask me if I've published anything (I haven't yet) but accepts my declaration without question, smiling as he leaves, no doubt busy with plans of his own on what to paint first on his new piece of art equipment.

And me? I'm buzzing at what I could be. What I do. What I am.

I've made up stories in my head from the time I was a little girl. I used to beg to write skits instead of reports at school and am thankful for one particular teacher who let me write and perform dramatisations. Often I roped in various classmates for these dramas, one of which was a three act play about Jacques Cartier and his exploration of Canada, complete with the unoriginal though applause-worthy line, "Hey! Jacques back!" as a catch phrase. I kept a journal all through junior high (oh, the agony!) and high school (oh, the angst!) and even through university when my hand was constantly cramped from the excessive note-taking in my English Lit and Cultural Anthropology lectures.

And then I took some time off. Oh, willingly enough. I don't regret at all the twenty years spent writing grocery lists and to-do lists and birthday cards. I'm happy my creativity was channeled into good meals, nappy changing, and crafty ways to turn a few boards and some bricks into a bookcase. This was before the days of Pinterest and, trust me, some pictures and video tutorials might've made all the difference between a snazzy looking masterpiece and the Leaning Tower of Piza we ended up with.

So instead of a shelf full of published novels, I have three amazing children who are my "living" epistles as L.M. Montgomery's indomitable heroine, Anne Blythe née Shirley, called her own children. Maybe I could've written and looked after my babies at the same time but when I was knee-deep in said nappy changes, I found it tricky to keep the dust bunnies at bay let alone imagine character developments and story arcs.

But now it's time to slowly turn my attention back to a passion I've kept under wraps for so long. I've still got two at home but they're older teens now and don't need me to keep them physically alive twenty-four seven. And I've got a husband who doesn't seem to mind the occasional - all right, weekly - breakfast for dinner. Seriously, aren't bacon and scrambled eggs the best? He's even taken over all the washing, for goodness sake, and our clothes have never been more promptly washed, dried, and folded.

So I'm stretching my mind, squeezing in as much writing time as I can manage, cracking open the old thesaurus again though it's on an app now instead of in a huge, hardbound book. And I'm excited to see where it will lead.

Eric Liddell, an Olympic athlete and missionary once said, "God made me with a purpose but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure."

I know that writing is not my ultimate purpose. I was meant to live and move and have my being in Him but I believe He gave me this gift of wanting to - needing to - tell stories. And when I write, I feel His pleasure. So I'm going to keep on writing.

After all, I am a writer.

How about you? When did you first know you were a writer?

Growing up, I always wanted to walk through a door to an imaginary world so it’s no surprise I now call New Zealand home. Too short to be an elf and too tall to be a hobbit, I live in the centre of Middle Earth where the Preacher and I planted a church over a decade ago. I love tree ferns, dark chocolate, British spelling (except for tyres...that one still looks weird!) and Jesus. When inspiration strikes, I blog at www.jebraunclifford.wordpress.com

Are We Using What God Gave Us? by Ruth Bigler

I run in the mornings. For years I wasn’t able to run, because pregnancy and babies and something that happened to my knee when I was pregnant with number one. But suddenly, blissfully, I run now, almost every morning.

There is something magical about being outside in the morning in the summer, when the early light is filtering through the leaves that have passed the pale, yellow-green of spring and are now the dark, rich colour of a summer forest. The birds talk more in the morning than they do at any other time of day. They talk more, and they talk louder, quarrelling, singing, jubilating in the experience of existing in a morning in the summer.

There’s a field I run past that’s flat and boggy, and often a moose will startle at my approach and take off running, his gangly legs flailing, his whole disproportioned body evoking a cross between the majestic awe of creation and a great cosmic joke. Sometimes I even see “my” owl perched on a fence post, watching me as I run past, its head swivelling a full 180 degrees to follow me down the road.

And then there’s the running. I never feel more alive, more grateful for the beautiful gift that is my body, as when I’m pounding down the hard-packed dirt road, the smell of dew and aspen and warm dirt in my nostrils, my feet hitting the road in perfect rhythm and my breath as steady as my footsteps. It is my meditation, my zen, my morning devotional. It affects my every day. It affects my confidence, how I feel physically, and how much patience I have for my kids, my husband, and my co-workers.

A beautiful, sublime purpose exists within our bodies and our spirits. When I run, my body is doing what it was built to do; when I pray, or read my Bible, or go to church—when I turn to God—my spirit is doing what it was built to do.

When I first started training again, after six years out of commission, it was hard. I kept injuring myself, so many times that I finally had to go back to a five-minute run per day. For weeks! It was painful, and hard, and some days, just plain boring. There were times I wondered if it was worth it. Sometimes I almost decided it wasn’t. But I had run before, and I knew that once I passed that mysterious threshold, running would once again go from a chore to a part of my life-force.

Being spiritual isn’t easy, either, especially when you’re just starting. Turning to God can be hard, and painful, and sometimes so, so monotonous. Other activities are much easier, and, at least in the short term, more enjoyable. But we keep trying, because perhaps we’ve had a glimpse of how rewarding a relationship with God can be. We’ll sludge and slog our way, step by painful step, until one day we’ll look up and we’re not dragging our feet any more; we’re soaring, and life is more beautiful than we can even comprehend.

We need that glimpse of Heaven first. Before going through the pain and discomfort of fully trusting God, we need to understand why. I write about the rewards of running because I hope others will challenge themselves physically, too. I write about God’s miracles because I want to share them with people who don’t know them or have forgotten. Maybe that’s why you write, too.

Have you experienced a glimpse of Heaven through the mud and sweat of life? God has given each of us a way to let others experience Heaven on Earth. So, if we write, let’s write! If we preach, let’s preach. Even if all we do is run, let’s run for His glory. Because nothing in the world could be more beautiful than being what God made us to be.

Ruth is a bit of a nomad, having moved eleven times between three countries in her seven years of marriage. She's a lawyer, a mother of four very energetic children, and an omnivorous reader, and despite everything, (usually) manages to squeeze in some writing. Ruth writes mostly Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction, ranging from sic-fi to historical. She loves running, dark chocolate, and cross-country skiing, and is determined one day to get her very own dog.

Journaling is Good for the Author's Heart, Soul, and Writing by Wendy L. Macdonald

A vintage shabby-chic trunk in our cozy den holds a menagerie of my fabric-covered and spiral-bound journals. Thirty-two years' worth of words lay poured onto the private pages of these notebooks. How has journaling been helpful for this author’s heart, soul, and writing?

Journaling sharpens an author’s ability to shape stories and characters. Although I’m new to writing full-length fiction manuscripts, I’ve had much experience dreaming up plot lines without even realizing it. Eighteen months ago my dear husband suggested I start a novel. He said this shaking his head in response to my vivacious imagination.

There are many examples of my exuberant mind written within the pages of my journals, such as the time I stopped my family from eating baked goods that had been given to us because I wondered about the numerous sudden deaths that had occurred in the giver’s social sphere. (I’ve sworn my family to secrecy about this crazy moment of mine.) But that incident helped shape one of my first manuscript’s characters. And I suspect other antagonists will be birthed from incidents saved within my journal.

Journaling improves deep point-of-view writing skills. A diary won’t do. A journal is for recording our inner thoughts and feelings about what has transpired rather than simply documenting events. Pathos, fear, joy, and passion are a few especially helpful emotions to take advantage of. And it’s this depth of articulation that most benefits our fiction work. How can we write effectively about our protagonist’s strengths and weaknesses if we’re not in conscious contact with our own?

Journaling helps us tap into the inner-motivations of our characters. There’s nothing new under the writer’s quill because we all share the same universal issues (love, family, faith, birth, death, and everything in between). Authors generally use the same proven story structure, yet they must still strive to create unique character arcs with one-of-a-kind plots.

The experience of keeping a journal can give our fiction writing a sharper edge when we mine treasures from our characters’ thoughts (as well as from our own). If we can write a story that pulls others into a realistic world shared from the deep recesses of the protagonist’s heart and mind, the reader won’t want to put the book down. There’s something about intimacy that draws us in, much like a campfire does. Entering one’s own thoughts into a journal makes us more self-aware and potentially more observant of our fictional characters’ desires, secrets, and vulnerabilities. And that makes for good writing.

Journaling alleviates stress through the writing pilgrimage. Recording our prayer requests, our praises, and our personal progress keeps us honest and motivated with our current manuscripts and self-care. The stress-reducing effects of journaling kick in when we write poignantly. From what I’ve been reading it’s not just a newbie, like me, who gets overwhelmed and discouraged in this ever-changing literary landscape. Authors, we know and admire, have had to rethink their strategies, too.

Journaling gives the author permission to leave their concerns within their private pages, go forth, and share their stories. Write. Read. Edit. Query (or Self-Publish). Submit. Repeat. We can trust God to answer our written requests according to his perfect timing while we’re busy doing our part as writers.

Journaling IS good for the author’s heart, soul, and writing! How has it helped you?

Wendy L. Macdonald has lived in British Columbia, Canada all her life. She postponed her writing aspirations for a decade while homeschooling her three children. Last year she dove into writing with only her experience of blogging and a love of reading to keep her afloat in the ever-changing sea of the publishing world. She has completed two mystery/romance novels and hopes to try memoir writing in the near future. Her website is http://greenlightlady.wordpress.com where she shares inspirational poetry, prose, and nature photography.

Seeing Through Different Eyes, by Karen Rees

A few months ago a British transport minister on a trade visit to Taipei made the headlines in this part of Asia because of a diplomatic blunder. She presented the mayor with a pocket watch. She didn't know that giving a timepiece is taboo in Chinese culture. Because of the similar pronunciation of “giving a clock” and “attending an old person's funeral”, her gift suggested that the mayor's time was running out.



During the years that my husband and I worked with a Chinese church here in Hong Kong, we learned of another similar taboo. Never take flowers to someone in the hospital; flowers are associated with funerals.

Later we began working with household servants imported from the Philippines. We discovered that Filipinos point with their lips, hospitality is high priority while punctuality is not, and wives handle the family money. If they manage it badly, it brings shame on their husbands.

Our current part-time involvement with a Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seeker family from a Hindu background has exposed us to the habits and values of yet another culture.

These three cultures are different in many ways. But, all being Asian, they share a basic value: the rights of the family take priority over the rights of the individual. This value is seen in a tradition of arranged marriages that benefit the family, in the expectation that money earned by one is available to all and in the requirement that individuals put the wishes/needs of the family before their own.

This “family first” value is in direct conflict with the “individual first” culture of the West.

As writers we know that conflict drives the story. We usually create conflict by giving our characters, all of whom have likely Western values, different backgrounds, personalities and desires. Consider the additional conflict possibilities if one or more characters came from a culture with different values.

Countries, and couples, have gone to war because of clashing cultural values. It's not uncommon for a Western husband and a Filipina wife to do battle over how to spend the household money. He, being an individualistic Westerner, wants it all used for themselves and any children they may have. She, with her “family ­first” values, insists that they send money to her extended family in the Philippines.

Cultural differences can add interest, and conflict, to international contemporary novels. Recognizing cultural differences also helps when writing historical fiction.

As I researched Tudor England for my novel THE RUBY RING, I discovered that the Middle Ages shared the same 'family first' value as 20th century Asia.  Choosing a spouse in the 1500s or, more likely, having one chosen for you, was primarily a business matter, not a matter of the heart.

Because of this, the couple in my novel who wishes to marry for love faces much greater family opposition than they would have in today's individualistic Western, 'all we need is love' culture.  Since they also are caught up in England's religious turmoil, I had enough conflict to keep many readers up well past bedtime.

But to maintain a feel of authentic Tudor England, I had to allow my characters to deal with the conflicts in a manner suitable to that culture. I had to see life through their eyes.

Returning to the present day and the Chinese view of clocks and flowers, how's this for a contemporary romantic thriller?

After graduating from a Western university, a courageous young Chinese female reporter begins working in China only to receive death threats for her honest reporting of government and business corruption. She flees to the relative safety of Hong Kong. There she meets a handsome young Western businessman. After a whirlwind romance, they become engaged.

At their engagement party they receive an anonymous gift – a beautiful clock. He is pleased. She is fearful. Are her enemies still after her? A few days later she is injured in a freak accident and spends a few days in the hospital. Her fiancé brings her flowers.

Her previous apprehensions abruptly intensify as a new and terrifying possibility arises. Is her fiancé merely a thoughtful but culturally ignorant Westerner? Or is he actually in the pay of the corrupt Chinese businessmen who, through the clock and flowers, are telling her that she can't escape them?

It all depends on which cultural eyes you're using.

Karen Rees and her second-generation missionary husband Benjamin have served in Hong Kong since 1975. Besides her involvement in the mission work, Karen loves history, quilting and writing. They have two children, Matthew and Megan, and two grandchildren, Hadessah and Arthur. She is the author of the historical novel, The Ruby Ring.

Caring for Fictional Characters by Janet Sketchley

As readers, the characters we love best are those we can relate to, but we need a connection with each one of them. Not that we'll love the characters we're supposed to fear or find irritating, but if something in them resonates with us, we'll accept them as real.

If writers don't bond with their created people, readers definitely won't. I struggled with this in my first novel, Heaven's Prey. How to find a point of contact with a serial killer, so readers would want to see him redeemed – and not throw the book across the room in anger when it happened?

In that case the answer came in exploring the man's past, meeting him when he was a regular Tom, Dick or Harry (bad joke: his name's Harry). Seeing the hurts that led to such horrible choices. Seeing his good side. That didn't make him good, but it made him redeemable.

It's just as important to invest in our ordinary characters, the ones who aren't in-your-face offensive or worse. I had to get into the heroine Ruth's head and live with her through her experiences. Let her react in ways true to herself, not in ways I wanted for purposes of the plot. It made for lots of rewrites before she felt real to me.

When I started work on the next novel, Secrets and Lies, I was more intentional about creating emotional links with the heroine Carol. She had begun as a peripheral character from Heaven's Prey: mom died young, dad abusive, raised by repressive aunt, teen pregnancy, loser husband, miscarriage, husband died, preteen son died of overdose... oh, and her only brother's a dangerous offender.

Plenty to work with story ­wise, but I match exactly zero of those descriptions. How would I relate? It turns out we both have control issues, and we both spend too much time living in our own heads.

I didn't know that in the beginning, so I gave Carol a few things I like: she's fond of tea, chocolate and baking, and music helps her de-­stress. I picked a favourite singer for her: Billy Joel. It was a fairly random choice; I liked some of his songs, and knew he had a large body of work. If she's listening to music all the time, it better not be the same three songs.

I also gave her something I'd like to acquire. She's a very good housekeeper. It comes back to control: if she can't keep order in the rest of her life, she can at least run her home.

These minor details helped me get close enough to discover our shared emotions and attitudes. What did I add to her life? As well as those conscious choices about tea, food and music, I helped her find her way into a relationship with the God whose heart we can trust to pick us up when we're broken.

What did she add to mine? Sadly, not the housekeeping. But I find myself drinking more peppermint tea (her favourite), and I listen to a lot more Billy Joel now.

What about you? Can you point to fictional characters who've taught you a life lesson, given an insight, or from whom you've picked up a trait or an attitude?

Janet Sketchley is the author of Heaven's Prey and Secrets and Lies, two novels of suspense and redemption. She also blogs about faith and books. Like Carol in Secrets and Lies, Janet loves music and tea. Unlike Carol, she isn't related to a dangerous offender, has a happy home life, and has never been threatened by a drug lord. May those tidbits continue to hold true!






You can find Janet online at janetsketchley.ca. Fans of Christian suspense are invited to join Janet's writing journey through her monthly newsletter: bit.ly/JanetSketchleyNews.

Website: http://janetsketchley.ca/

Join Janet's author journey – sign up for her monthly newsletter: http://bit.ly/JanetSketchleyNews

Secrets and Lies page (includes purchase links): http://janetsketchley.ca/books/secrets­and­lies/

Sample Chapter: http://janetsketchley.ca/wp­content/uploads/2014/10/Secrets­and­Lies­Chapter­ 1.pdf

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Interview with Autumn Macarthur, Plus a Giveaway!

I'd like to welcome Autumn Macarthur, a new member of Beyond the Borders and a first-time blogger here at ICFW. It's an important time for Autumn, as she prepares to launch her first book in September, a novella set in London titled THE WEDDING LIST. Her genre is contemporary Romance, with deep Christian undertones.

But let's back up. Autumn is Australian and lives in London with her British husband. She's a nature enthusiast, and she can tell you what to eat for longevity and optimal health. In short, Autumn has the mind of an entrepreneur, breaking into the Indie Market, and the spirit of a woman called to inspire. Welcome, Autumn!

Click to Tweet: Celebrating Autumn Macarthur’s first release: THE WEDDING LIST.

Autumn, if you don't mind, I’ll get right to your faith, which comes through in your writing, your smile, and your ever upbeat emails to our Beyond the Borders group. Who or what has been your greatest Christian influence? Did you experience a conversion at some point in your life or has your faith developed naturally since childhood?

Faith is a good place to start! I grew up in a household that didn’t welcome the hunger I had from an early age to learn more about God and to go to church. Dad claims to be an atheist, but I suspect he’s a lapsed believer who became angry with God after a personal tragedy in his teens.

I persevered and was allowed to attend church and go on Christian camps. At sixteen I first gave Jesus Lordship of my life, but there’s been a bit of a backwards and forwards struggle since then! Like my father, I spent far too many years angry with God when something I very much desired was denied me. Now, of course, I can see the effects of my mistakes, but at the time it was way easier to blame God than take responsibility.

Thankfully, God didn’t give up on me and about eighteen months ago I recommitted my life to Him. It’s still an everyday struggle to surrender and trust, but I love knowing He loves and supports me and understands my struggles.

He is the driving force behind everything I write.

I admire the honesty with which you write about your faith, the tug-of-wars and the Ah! moments we have with God. When writing, do you start with the faith element in your story as a springboard or with the story/plot itself?

I develop my characters first, usually the heroine. Once I know what gets in the way of her having the fullest possible relationships, not just with her romantic love, the hero, but with God, it’s clear what lessons of faith she needs to experience.

God has a tendency of teaching me the same lessons as I write! Often, as I pray about a personal issue, I’ll see how that same issue applies to a character. I hope that gives my stories sincerity and emotional depth and will satisfy readers. In a way, I’m right there with the heroine, going through the same emotional and spiritual journey, laughing with her and crying with her, too.

You've mentioned that you have a love affair with London. I live in London, as well, and love the taxi cabs. You can fit a baby's wagon in the back without folding it down! Can you name one aspect of London you most appreciate? Your first book is set in London. Any plans to use an Australian setting in the future?

David Iliff

I love the traces of history visible throughout London, not just the big attractions like Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London, but the random kiln in Notting Hill and the pubs that Dickens frequented.

THE WEDDING LIST is part of a series set in London I’m calling Love In Store. The series revolves around the staff of a London department store, with both American and Australian characters making appearances.

I love writing stories set elsewhere, too! I have plans for a series set in Oregon, U.S.A., the revised full of the first book is currently under consideration at Harlequin Love Inspired. I’m also working on two series set in Australia, one in a small rural town and the other set in a coastal village.

You blog about the little miracles you see in your garden. Does your passion for food and gardening make it into your writing? How about your three spoiled cats and dandelion-munching guinea pig? I couldn't resist asking!

I’m soon to start writing Book 3, with a foodie heroine who runs the kitchenware department at the store. A runaway hamster makes a guest appearance in Book 2. So far though, no gardeners, cats, or guinea pigs. I’m sure they will come!

I'm going to sneak this one in here: What is your favorite food from your garden?

LOL, if you saw my garden, you would know I can’t grow much food in it. The only vegetable  I have consistent success with is garlic, and that’s such a love/hate thing for people. Thankfully, I love it!

Michael Spencer

Bruschetta is a quick and easy summer dish using garlic. I made it for a picnic when my  husband and I were first dating, and he loved it so much it could be the reason he married  me!

So, while we’re on the topic of love, tell us a bit about your soon-to-be-launched novella THE WEDDING LIST. I love the title!

I’m always happy to talk about my stories! THE WEDDING LIST is the first in the Love in Store series. It will be released as an ebook on Amazon in early September. BELIEVE IN ME, Book 2, was a semi-finalist in the Inspirational Romance section of the Harlequin So You Think You Can Write contest last year. It will be out in October, and Book 3 with follow in early December.

THE WEDDING LIST features Beth Forrest. With her eye for beautiful design and her cut-glass accent, no-one would guess Beth’s impoverished background. It’s all throw pillows, china patterns, and upper class brides as she manages the Wedding Registry at Pettett & Mayfield, the stately maiden aunt of London department stores. It’s not quite her dream job, but each bride she helps plan their perfect home brings her one step closer to financing her own.

When James Tetherton-Hart, brilliant in his research lab but awkward and disorganised in everyday life, comes to the store in desperate need of both a gift and a partner for a wedding that evening, all her careful plans and meticulous checklists are turned upside down.

Now Beth's first love is back, determined to make her his partner for life, not just the evening. But unless Beth can let go of the mistaken beliefs that separated them before and learn the breadth of God’s love for us all, her only gift from the wedding will be another heartbreak.

I invite readers who want to find out more about my books and their release dates, as well as access exclusive members-only contests and “behind the book” blog posts, to sign up for my newsletter at http://faithhopeandheartwarming.com.

Sara, thank you for your thoughtful questions! I know we have folk from all over reading the blog. I’d love for readers to share what makes where they live special for them. I welcome any questions about my books, my writing process, or anything at all!

A giveaway of THE WEDDING LIST will go to one randomly selected reader who comments. It will be available early September to coincide with the launch. Formats include Mobi for Kindle, epub, or pdf. Don't forget to leave a comment!

Autumn Macarthur is an Australian writer of inspirational romance living near London with her very English husband, three spoiled cats, and a guinea pig with a dandelion addiction. She loves reading, cooking, gardening, and writing deeply emotional stories to make you smile and remind you how big and wide and deep God's love and forgiveness can be. When she's not talking to her strawberry plants or cherry blossoms, she can be found blogging at http://faithhopeandheartwarming.com, on Facebook as Autumn Macarthur, and on Twitter as @autumnmacarthur.


Interviewed by Sara Goff:  http://www.saragoff.com/

Guess Who I Saw?

Writers are supposed to be people-watchers and eavesdrop on the conversations of strangers. As a writer living in Hong Kong, doing this has its problems.

Hong Kong is a collection of extremely compact cities with an international population that's always rushing. The most frequently pressed elevator button, in both commercial and residential high-rises, is the one that closes the door. We can't wait the extra few seconds for it to close automatically.

How do I search for those distinctive details that sets one person apart from another when all I see are people's backs hurrying here, hurrying there?

Click to Tweet: Writers are supposed to be people-watchers

In this bustling population, I have found one good place to people-watch – on the subway. Once we've boarded, the train does the rushing. We stay put for a while. So there I am, sitting if I'm lucky enough to get a seat, people-watching and trying to sharpen my observational skills.

What do I see?

The man beside me with the dirty fingernails, rough haircut, scruffy clothing and yesterday's odors is most likely a mainland Chinese who is working here. Were he a mainland tourist, although equally rough and out of style, he'd be a bit cleaner.

Across from me is a rather simply dressed young Asian woman but with a more open expression than mainlanders wear. Is she Hong Kong Chinese or a Filipina with a touch of Chinese blood? Since she's wearing sandals, a few years ago her toenails would have told me. If they were painted, she'd be a Filipina. But now that Chinese women have discovered the delights of nail polish, her nationality remains a mystery.

Sitting near this mystery woman is a Chinese man giving himself a “shave”. Chinese facial hair being somewhat sparse, the method of some years ago was to locate a whisker by feel, pinch it between two coins and jerk it out. The man I'm watching today has a technology upgrade. He's using a small hand mirror and tweezers. Ten more yanks and he's done.

If I'm on the subway when schools let out, the train soon fills with students in uniforms. The younger ones are often accompanied by the family's imported household servants – either Filipinas with their painted toenails or Indonesian Muslims in various colored headscarves.

Most students are Chinese. But I also see Muslim girls with headscarves the color of their uniforms and boys with white cloth topknots holding the never-to-be-cut hair that identify them as Sikhs.

Now that China is building economic ties with Africa, I'm seeing increasing numbers of tall black men and ample-bodied black women. The other week I followed two such women to the train. They were effortlessly balancing massive bundles on their heads and their native costumes were as colorful as a flower garden. Only our local Hindu women in their saris outdo them in brightness.

Once in a great while I'll see saffron-robed Buddhist monks or nuns, with their shaved heads and religious beads, traveling in twos or threes.

I'm a people-watcher but I don't do much eavesdropping. Nowadays few people talk to each other. They're too busy playing with their smart phones. Those who are talking could easily be carrying on a conversation in any number of languages. Very seldom is it English.

Occasionally some blond-haired Western woman boards the train. In the past, with a train filled with black haired passengers, or in my case dark brown turning gray, everyone would stare at her. But not now. Now the bolder members of a younger generation are dyeing some or all of their black hair every color of the rainbow. Blond hair no longer stands out against heads sporting apricot, turquoise, violet, wine red or wheat. Sometimes two or three colors share the same head.

If I wrote contemporary international fiction, I'd be in the perfect spot. But I write historical fiction set during the English Reformation. You don't find nail polish and Sikh topknots in 16th Century England.

Click to Tweet: No nail polish and Sikh topknots in 16th Century England

Nevertheless, all is not lost. Some time ago I saw a man whose eyebrows bobbed as he talked. How's that for a tag? Of course I wouldn't give it to the hero. In a love scene those bobbing brows could be quite distracting both to reader and heroine.

Better still, I recently saw Paul. I'd never before seen him outside of my imagination. But there he stood – my wiry, little, copper-haired, Anabaptist Frenchman from a yet-to-be published English Reformation novel – only with Chinese coloring and eyes. It was hard not to stare.

Now I see Paul much more clearly in my imagination, especially his lovely cheek bones, although I do have to keep correcting his hair color.

People-watching, even four centuries later, is worth doing. You never know who you might see.

Karen Rees and her second-generation missionary husband Benjamin have served in Hong Kong since 1975.  Besides her involvement in the mission work, Karen loves history, quilting and writing.  They have two children, Matthew and Megan, and one granddaughter, Hadessah.  Karen writes historical fiction and has a special interest in the English Reformation.  Her first novel - The Ruby Ring - came out in 2013 and is a Finalist in the Religious Fiction category in the 2014 Indie Excellence Awards.  Find Karen on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Author.KarenRees. Her mission website is http://www.hongkongmission.org/.

ATKINS DIET - Romance and Love of God

Keen Writers

Romance author, Narelle Atkins, recently
shared her writing journey at the Australian Christian
Writers Fellowship seminar in Sydney.

As an attendee, I was glad to finally meet Narelle face to face.
We had a lot to chew over and not enough time to do it. Questions flew thick and fast as she began covering the seminar topics.

*Traditional Publishing vs Self Publishing.
*Catching an editor's attention with your Proposal.
*Writing an effective blog to promote your work.

Then we were all put to work!

An exercise in writing blog posts

I was personally blessed as I rarely get together   with like-minded folk in the writing field. And it's always amazing when someone throws a question you hadn't thought to ask and it happens to be information  you really need. This is especially relevant in the technical side of presenting your work in the best light possible, whether it be to agents, editors, or readers of your blogs.        

Lunch was served after all this brainstorming

Narelle fielded all of the questions thrown her way. She's been at this "game" for quite some time. We appreciated her sharing the way she patiently laid foundations for her writing career, in her willingness to wait on God's timing, not hers.


There was applause when she told us about her first writing contract with Heartsong Presents. This was not one book but a series. Now we just need to wait until her first books arrive here in Australia.

As members of this International Christian Fiction Writers blog, we appreciate Narelle's efforts in keeping this blog running smoothly. She personally guided me in setting up my very first blog here.

Check my blog to read her own romance story, plus a lovely wedding picture of her wedding day.
http://inspirationalromance.blogspot.com

Australian Historical Romance author, Rita Stella Galieh, has had two books published, Fire in the Rock,
Book I of  The Watermark Women series, Signed Sealed Delivered,
Book II, The Tie That Binds is with the publisher waiting for a contract soon to be followed by book III, A Parcel of Promises.

She is also a scriptwriter and co-presenter on a five-minute Christian radio program, VANTAGE POINT. She and her evangelist husband have travelled to Thailand every year for the past eighteen years in a month long ministry to schools, prisons, hospitals, orphanages, shopping malls, and churches. 

Christian Fiction DOES Make a Difference!

I still remember the days (EONS ago!) when Christians looked askance at writers who expressed an interest in writing fiction.

"Why would you want to do that?" they'd ask. "Why not write something more serious, something that really matters?

Implicit in such questions/remarks is the idea that fiction doesn't matter, that it isn't serious, that it doesn't make a difference in people's lives.

Really? I think it does--and something tells me that all of you reading this post agree with me. Let me give you an example.

As I sit at my desk writing this, my insides are jumping with excitement. Just a few moments ago an amazing reunion took place about 3,000 miles from me, in Tennessee. Willard Parker, the formerly homeless man on the cover of my book Unexpected Christmas Hero, saw his family for the first time in years. He will be meeting his grandchildren for the first time too. And I am honored to say that God allowed me to be part of this Christmas miracle.

How? Well, I'm glad you asked. After I finished writing Unexpected Christmas Hero and turned it in to my publisher, they assigned a photographer to find just the right picture to grace the cover. The photographer and his wife were walking the streets of Asheville, NC, when they spotted a man named Willard Parker, who so perfectly fit the description of the hero in my book, a homeless Vietnam vet named Rick.

As it turned out, not only did Mr. Parker agree to pose for the picture but he also told the photographer that he truly was homeless and hadn't seen his family in years, though he longed to reunite with them, particularly since he found out he was in failing health. When the photographer told me about it, I mounted an Internet campaign to get this family reunited. I posted the cover with Mr. Parker's picture and asked, "Do you know where this man's family is?" Within a few weeks I heard from his daughter Amber. Someone called her and said, "I think your dad's on a book cover." Amber went to my website and saw the cover and started crying. "That's my daddy!" she sobbed, and then emailed me to tell me she was Mr. Parker's daughter.

That was a couple months ago, but Mr. Parker is now no longer living on the streets but back with his ex-wife (Amber's mom), who is caring for him in his illness. And now he is enjoying some long overdue "daddy and grandpa time."

Does Christian fiction make a difference? Ask Mr. Parker or Amber--or maybe Mr. Parker's grandsons. You'll get your answer--and I hope it will encourage your heart to keep on reading and writing Christian fiction--"parables with purpose," as I call them. For God truly does use the works of our hands to bless others and to bring glory to His name.

Here is a picture of Amber and Mr. Parker, and one of Mr. Parker with his two grandsons. Enjoy!

Traveling Internationally Without Leaving Home

I just returned from ten days of travel, and I'm so glad to be home! But I must confess that at no point during those ten days did I ever leave my home country. Instead, I had the opportunity to speak to various groups on a topic of international interest and concern: human trafficking. I was even interviewed by a local ABC News affiliate on the topic and got to watch myself as the lead story on the evening news. Exciting stuff!

These opportunities reminded me of how important international fiction truly is. When I accepted the three-book fiction contract from New Hope Publishers to write a series on human trafficking, specifically child sex slavery, I knew I wanted to include the international scope of the problem while at the same time bringing it home to so many in my own country who seem to think it just doesn't happen here. The Freedom Series (Deliver Me From Evil, Special Delivery, and The Deliverer) did exactly that, as I wove two stories together throughout the three books: one in the Golden Triangle of Thailand and one in Southern California, with a few scenes in Mexico as well. I have been amazed, as I've traveled this country and spoken to various groups, as well as talked about the topic on radio and TV, how aware people seemed to be of the trafficking problem in other countries but how unaware of it here where I live. As a result, I feel I have accomplished my objective by including these two seemingly separate stories and locations in the same series of books.

International fiction is unique in presenting this opportunity, regardless of where you live as a writer or reader. As writers we can travel the world from our home office, spinning fascinating tales that inform and challenge, while tying together the commonalities of human beings everywhere. As readers we can travel to exotic places and experience the good, the bad, and the ugly of our brothers and sisters around the world--even if we can't afford the airfare to take such a trip.

Whether it is human trafficking, the persecuted Church, or any other universal topic, international fiction offers the ease of travel without leaving home, and I am so grateful to be a part of it!

This is my very first post since joining this wonderful blog.

I loved the concept the moment Sandra Orchard told me about it. 

A Christian blog, from Christian writers around the world. 

I’m so happy to be a part of it!

Does anyone else read “In Touch,” a magazine by Dr. Charles F. Stanley?

I thought I would share an excerpt from one of the articles in his August 2012 issue titled, the HEIGHT of GODLINESS.  Essentially, it outlines how to grow as a Christian. And one of the ways it mentions, is to share your spirituality, just as we are doing here.

“We all need a few Christian friends with whom we can openly share our struggles, heartaches, and good times, too  (Rom. 12:15). As God pours His life into yours through the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. He wants you to let it flow on to others. You can’t live like an island and expect to grow in the Lord. Christ has designed His body to be connected- helping, supporting, and praying for each other. But if you receive and never give, you’ll become stagnant and stop growing.”

I believe that is what we have chosen to do as Christian writers, and it is what this blog represents to me.

Thank you all for welcoming me here! 

And congratulations and thanks to all of you, writers and readers alike, who share so much of yourselves!

Blessings,

Eva Maria Hamilton

Author of Highland Hearts - Love Inspired Historical- Harlequin

www.evamariahamilton.com