Monday 17 July 2017

CWD Highlights

Christian Writers Downunder is a diverse group of writers, editors, bloggers, illustrators. As a group we support each other through our facebook page and blog. Today's blog will highlight some of the achievements of our members in the first half of 2017


New Releases:



Ruth Bonetti - From the Midnight Sun to Southern Cross


In May 2017 Ruth Bonetti released Midnight Sun to Southern Cross: Those who go and those who stay - the follow-on from Burn My Letters.


In the tradition of great family migration stories, Midnight Sun to Southern Cross continues the saga of the Back brothers' flight from Russian occupied Finland to Australia as the nineteenth century turned into the twentieth. From frozen Finland to the lush rainforests of northern New South Wales, to the dry and dusty sheep country of western Queensland, Ruth follows the highs and lows of their new life under the Southern Cross as well as exploring the lives of the siblings who stayed in Finland.

WA's granddaughter Ruth contrasts his and KJ's formative years in Finland with her own upbringing in outback Queensland. Her voyage of discovery and self-discovery uncovers research in Finland and Australia, and interweaves her own transformation from shy bush girl to speaker and musician.

Bio: Musician, teacher, author, performance coach, Ruth Bonetti is the author of dozens of books including Speak Out Don't Freak Out and Practice in Not a Dirty Word and more recently her historical-memoirs Burn My Letters and Midnight Sun to Southern Cross. Ruth initiated Omega Writers in 1991.



Carolyn Miller - Regency Romance



Carolyn Miller has had her first two Regency historical romances published this year by US Christian publishers Kregel.



'The Elusive Miss Ellison' released in February 2017

“Can the not-so-meek reverend’s daughter and the reluctant Earl of Hawkesbury look beyond painful pasts and present prejudice to see their future?"

Available at Koorong






'The Captivating Lady Charlotte' in June 2017

“Romance, responsibility and true love…
Can a widowed duke ever learn to trust the high-spirited Lady Charlotte when her heart demands the opposite of duty?”

Available at Koorong

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer's Regency era, Carolyn Miller lives in the Southern Highlands of NSW, Australia, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God's grace in our lives.



Jeanette O'Hagan - Blood Crystal


Jeanette O'Hagan released Blood Crystal, the sequel to Heart of the Mountain 30 June 2017

YA Fantasy Adventure in the lost realm Under the Mountain – Book 2


The underground realm is under attack from mad Overseer Uzza and the Crystal Heart is failing. As things become desperate, Twins Delvina and Retza must brave a treacherous journey to seek help from Zadeki and his people.

Will they find the answers they seek before it’s too late? Is the blood of Uzza’s children the only way to restore the Crystal Heart? What are the twins prepared to do to save their realm and those they love from certain destruction?

Available from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073H83F42.



Bio: Jeanette O'Hagan started spinning tales in the world of Nardva at the age of eight or nine. She enjoys writing secondary world fiction, poetry, blogging and editing and has published several short stories and poems and a novella, Heart of the Mountain. She has four short stories due for publication this year. Jeanette loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life and communicating God’s great love. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.



Jeanette Grant-Thomson - Healing Song


New edition of Healing Song - Merrilyn Billing with Jeanette Grant-Thomson was published in June 2017 (initially released in 1998 as Hear my Cry, Oh God!). It has a new title, new cover, a huge amount of editing, formatting by Lilly Pilly Publishing .

A True Story.

An electric shock caused many years of terrifying and crippling 'storms' in Merrilyn's brain. Desperate, she reached out to God and her sister . . . and embarked on a roller coaster healing journey.

Dramatic and inspiring, this true story has keys for people with long term problems.

Merrilyn is now Senior Pastor of Zions Hill Church, Launceston.

Buy from directly from Jeanette Grant-Thomson- jeanettegt@optusnet.com.au

Bio: A Moreton Bay Region author, Jeanette currently writes biographical works, novels and short stories.


Awards:


Lynne Stringer - Once Confronted


Lynne Stringer's Once Confronted (published October 2016 by Rhiza Press) won an Silver Award in Literary Classics (College Fiction section) on 1st July 2017

After a normal day turns disastrous, Madison Craig tries to put her life back together. She’s jumping at shadows and finds even familiar places terrifying. Can she forgive the men who hurt her? 

Her friend Evan Mansfield sees no need to do anything but hate their assailants. He struggles with bitterness, but Maddy wants to move on. What will she do when one of the men asks for forgiveness?

Buy link: http://www.rhizapress.com/once-confronted

Bio: Lynne Stringer has been passionate about writing all her life, beginning as the editor of a small newspaper (later magazine) for seven years, before turning her hand to screenplay writing and novels.



Susan Preston - Hold the Faith

In November 2016, Susan went to Miami because her novel Hold the Faith had won a Finalist award in the Christian, historical fiction section. Hold the Faith was published in 2014, and is the first book in a series of five books.

The series is self-published. It is set in the late first century AD and although sub-titled the ‘Apostle John Series’. Though important, the apostle John is the main focus of the books. The series focuses on the challenges and day to day life of the early Christians and the people whose lives they impact. (John’s fictitious great-grandson is a link through all the books.)

Susan Preston is a Scot transplanted to Western Australia, and now a widow. This and the loss of a stepson has given depth to my writing that it wouldn’t have otherwise.

The books are available on Amazon and although each is standalone it is a much better experience to grow with the people of the books.

Hold the Faith – Amazon link https://goo.gl/UBGtPE


Launches:

Kaye Hollings - Shaped launch

SHAPED - Is your life pear-shaped or purpose shaped?

By Kaye Hollings

Launch: 27 August 2017 at Mosaic Baptist, Mudgeeraba, QLD

Genre: Non-fiction; mind, body, spirit.

What shape is your soul?

Shaped is the story of the fashioning of my soul and filling that space with purpose and peace. How do you go from writer to Psychiatric Chaplain to Funeral Director? What a journey! I invite you to come and retrace my steps with me and perhaps discover your own revealed path emerge from the confusing maze of life and find yourself in the safe hands of the Divine Potter. 

Who or what is shaping you now?

The clay of our lives is pliable and can be moulded into many forms. It has been said that every person is born with a God-shaped hole, a void on the inside that only he can fill. This vacuum is the inbuilt desire of the human heart for something more, something transcendent, something spiritual that will last forever and give meaning to our existence. Have you discovered that vital connection between personal well-being and development of the inner life? 

About the author

Kaye has worked as a writer for the Church Missionary Society and Wesley Mission in Sydney, and has had many human interest stories and poetry printed in magazines and other publications.

She has authored two books of inspirational fiction – Dawn of Hope published in 2013 followed by the sequel Kept by Love in 2014. Shaped is the non-fiction prequel to the first two books and completes the story.

6 comments:

  1. Congratulations Ruth, Carolyn, Jeanette, Lynne, Susan and Kaye on the new releases, awards and launches - great to see what everyone is doing.

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  2. Congratulations everyone. Great to see what everyone's been doing.

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  3. Wow, what a diverse selection from a body of talented people. Congratulations everyone. Lovely to see all the different works in one post like this.

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  4. Congratulations everyone! It's exciting to see what God is doing with our words :)

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  5. Warm congratulations to Jenny, Ruth, Carolyn, Lynne, Susan and Kaye. Well done on your hard work and the fruit thereof! May God use your books to touch many, to fulfil His purposes and to bring Him glory.

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  6. There are a lot of great books here. :-)

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