Christian Fiction and Foreign Locations: Is the Issue Behind Us? ~ by Patricia Beal

Piazza Navona, Rome.

I've heard this a dozen times: "To sell Christian fiction in the United States, the story has to happen in the United States. It's the way the market is."

A friend who read my bio pointed out that maybe emphasizing my immigration story in the bio wasn't the wisest move because maybe editors would look past my foreign setting, but a foreign setting and a foreign author could make editors too nervous and make them back away. Again I heard, "It's the way the market is."

Is it the way the market is, or is it the way the market was? Is it possible that foreign settings are less of a problem now than they used to be?

Netherlands

In our blog group alone we have:

* Kara Isaac (New Zealand resident, native, and story - Howard).

* Marion Ueckermann (South Africa - Helsinki Sunrise, Oslo Overtures, Glasgow Grace - White Rose Publishing / Pelican Book Group).

* 12 authors of Whispers of Love set (3 from the group) hit the USA Today best sellers list last week with story settings ranging from the USA to Canada and South Africa to the Bahamas.

* Narelle Atkins (Australia): Harlequin/Love Inspired/Heartsong Presents. Debut + a six-book contract in February 2013 for two 3-book series of contemporary inspirational romances set in Australia with Aussie characters.

* Me (Brazilian born with story set partially in Germany) - Bling! / Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.

I know there are others in the group. But I listed the people whose work I'm most familiar with--the ladies I see online almost daily.

Neuleiningen, Germany

Beyond the group we see Hillary Manton Lodge (WaterBrook & Multnomah) with stories that travel (kind of like mine) & Katherine Reay (Thomas Nelson) with a story that travels to Italy (A Portrait of Emily Price coming out soon). And there are others.

I thought for sure the issue was mostly history and figured I would write this awesome victory dance piece for us, and we would all march together to our sunny happily ever after.

But in asking people's opinions for the piece, I was surprised to hear that agents feel like there's still a barrier.

Is there still a barrier?

What do you think? What has been your experience? And what about foreign settings could possibly be such a turn off for American Christian fiction readers?

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Patricia Beal writes contemporary Christian fiction and is represented by Leslie Stobbe of the Leslie H. Stobbe Literary Agency. Her debut novel, A Season to Dance, comes out on May 9, 2017 (Bling! / Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas).

She’s a 2015 Genesis semi-finalist and First Impressions finalist. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Cincinnati in 1998 with a B.A. in English Literature and then worked as a public affairs officer for the U.S. Army for seven years. Now, after a 10-year break in service, she is an Army editor. She and her husband live in El Paso, Texas, with their two children.

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THOSE PESKY POVs

I did'n wanna do it!

My, how we change as we continue writing. At least that's my experience. POVs?  I luv 'em to bits. I was once happy to let loose and fill my whole novel with every single character's point of view.

But that is NOT acceptable for today's readers. Editors and publishers have told me that in no uncertain terms.  So how to get around it?

I can't help myself, I write them in anyway.  THEN I work out who is the most important POV in the scene and rewrite it according to that. This takes extra work, but it helps me to understand them better. I  give each of the main characters and antagonists, their POV in turn. As to other characters who are needed, they simply shouldn't have their say from a POV. Even so, they can dialogue with a main character, so we do get to know what they're thinking...except when they're being sneaky.

Yes, I admit at first I didn't want to do it...but it works. I had to change my wicked ways and submit to the wisdom of the ages...well, you know what I mean. One important thing I have learned: assimilating my new objectives has caused me to stretch as a writer. And I think what really clinched it was when I read a book with multiple characters and I really didn't know whose story it was! It was well written and with beautiful description, but it left me confused.

Another thing that we agonize over. When to use omniscient voice. Here's a sensible hint from writer Celeste Ng: the omniscient narrator's role is to provide a framework and crucial context and provide outside information as needed. (Me: Agreed, but only in small amounts, eg. fading out from a scene like in the movies etc.)

.Have any of you writers experienced subtle or overt things you've had to change in your work? Or was I the only stubborn writer out there?

Rita Stella Galieh  is a historical romance writer of two published books who blogs weekly at http://inspirationalromance.blogspot.com  Signed Sealed Delivered is now available on Amazon Kindle. She and her husband both script and record radio programs broadcast weekly on FM stations around Australia.

January Jitters!

I wonder if I’m the only author who feels a few butterflies in the tummy at this time of year. In one way, it’s a pleasant, exciting sensation to experience as I look ahead to what this year may hold for me in my writing and speaking. But in another way, it is also a little disquieting and uncomfortable.

You see, I’d much rather know right now whether the two books I recently submitted to different publishers will actually be accepted for publication—and if so, exactly when they will be released. I’d appreciate too knowing all the possible speaking engagements I may have in the coming year were confirmed and entered in my diary in black and white. And I’d be very relieved to have more opportunities to promote and sell my books and also to see more sales of my books through the bookstores.

Could it be that this uncertainly is felt by authors everywhere or is it more prevalent here in Australia? There are very few Christian publishers ‘Down Under’ and those that do exist are quite small, while some are also very new. And of those that have been around for a while, most of them do not publish fiction. As well, it seems to be a battle in our nation of just under twenty-three million people where only a small percentage attend church on a regular basis, for many of these publishers to make a decent profit or even to stay afloat. Then there is the added pressure of not knowing how the e-book market will affect hard copy book sales—and so the challenges roll on.

So what do I do as I face this new year of 2012? I can decide it’s all too hard and put my energies into something else. Or I can continue to persevere in my uncertain writing and speaking journey, remembering this is what I believe God has called me to do and trusting God will take care of me. This morning, I read some wonderful verses in Isaiah 26:

You will keep in perfect peace him [her] whose mind is steadfast, because he [she] trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal (v 3-4).

That is how I want to approach this year and all it may hold—grounded firmly on the Rock, with my heart perfectly at peace in God. And I know I need to wait for God’s leading and empowering in everything, determined to honour God in every aspect of my writing and speaking, as verse 8 of the same chapter reminds me to do:

Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

 How amazing is God, to give me these verses just when I needed them to combat my ‘January jitters’! I know God has things in control and has my best interests at heart. And I know too that when the end of 2012 comes, just as in previous years, I will be able to look back and say, as Isaiah says in verse 12:

Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.

May you all step into 2012 will full confidence in God—may those ‘January jitters’ soon be a thing of the past!

Jo-Anne Berthelsen grew up in Brisbane and holds an Arts degree from Queensland University. She has also studied Education and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher and editor, as well as in local church ministry in Sydney. Jo-Anne loves communicating through both the written and spoken word and currently has four published novels – ‘Heléna’, ‘All the Days of My Life’, ‘Laura’, ‘Jenna’ and ‘Heléna’s Legacy’.  She is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and three grandchildren. For more information or to contact Jo-Anne, please visit her website, www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.