Mischief and Mayhem Afoot! (A Spot the Author Mystery)

by Mazzy Adams

Am I going stir crazy? I know I've been housebound for the last few weeks but ... I'm a homebody, an introvert, a reader, a writer ... home is my thing!

But alas, all is not as it should be ...

Imagine my confusion when I looked at my shelf of titles by Australian Christian authors (many of them members of Christian Writers Downunder) and discovered that my favourite books had ...

Gone walkabout! OH NO!

Where, oh where, could they have gone?

*Scratches head in puzzlement

Well, it appears that my books held their own little isolation rebellion. They were sick and tired of being cooped up on the bookshelf so, in cahoots with their mischievous authors, the whole adventurous crew decided to play hide and seek in my back yard.

Can you help me spot those naughty authors so I can have words with them about ...

How much I LOVE their books?

Who knows ... you might be one of them. 

For a bit of fun, (and to discover some awesome authors and their books) have a go at naming the plethora of Christian Aussie authors (and their book titles) appearing in these pictures. Add your sleuthing suggestions to the comments below. There are several anthologies shown too. Have you contributed to any of them?

Feel free to add your suggestions for other CWD authors/books you'd personally recommend.

Or, if commenting on blogger is not your thing, maybe you could post your own 'run away' book photos under the comment with this link in the CWD Facebook Members Group.

Have fun spotting. :)

Who wrote these? Fantasy, Mystery, Poignant representations of truth, Women's Lit, and Magical Realism ...

The power of a cover to pique the curiosity. Can you guess why it's hiding in this particular spot ... ?

Delightful non-fiction to heal and help ...

Mysteries abound for Adults and New Adults alike ...

Now here's a unique trio ... some deep diving via a verse novel, intriguing historic fiction set in Australia, and a delightful story of three friends ...

Hiding in a cement mixer? Well, there is an eclectic mix of stories, devotions and encouragements in these collections ...

Hmm ... rusty metal and crucifix orchids attracted these gems; love, laughter, and high adventure in Australia, USA, and South Africa brought to you by these Aussie authors ...

This package missed out on the trek into the backyard because it is waiting to be collected by its real owner (after I managed to borrow it for a while) ...

I'm a YA fan, that's for sure! These high favourites of mine are filled with high stakes, high adventure, and highly interesting characters ...

Whoops! Did this fellow forget to join in the fun? No. It is being faithful to its purpose, waiting patiently for me beside my bed because I'm in the middle of reading it now ...

So many anthologies filled with short stories, poetry, and devotions. Lots of authors too, but I'll give you one clue - I'm one of the authors in all of these. Woohoo!

Back in March at the Omega Book Fair, I scored some new additions to my collection, all waiting to be read through and through (though I've already giggled at quite a few of the funnies in one of them) ...

Hope you had a bit of fun sleuthing. But here's a word to the wise, some sage advice, for these days like no other: Perhaps you might be wise to check out your bookshelves to see if their contents need to see the light of day again. Maybe you'll discover they're crying out for some newcomers to liven up their book parties. ;)

Mazzy Adams is a published author of poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. She has a passion for words, pictures, and the positive potential in people.

Website: www.mazzyadams.com
Email: maz@mazzyadams.com

The WILLING SUSPENSION of UNBELIEF

Why would we want to do that?

As readers we want to believe what we're reading is true, don't we?  Of course, but that's only when we read nonfiction.

When we read fictional novels, we actually do something interesting, often as an automatic response. 

We know the story is not true, even though it may contain many facts. But here is where we actually choose to set aside that part of us that doesn't believe a word of what we're reading and accept what the author has written ... all of it.

Yes, we deliberately suspend our unbelief. 

Now here is where the onus is on the author to convince you to believe and thus accept the plot and the reality of the characters.  

It's a big job. Authors are expected to do thorough research to make the whole story resonate with his or her readers. And when they don't, we get disgusted and lose interest. Yet when an author is also an avid reader it becomes difficult to simply read for enjoyment and set aside their critical eye. But should they?

I don't believe so. We can all learn from each other. We can appreciate the author's skill, but we can also see where they may have slipped up here and there on certain "rules" we believe they should have followed. Here is where we must use caution. As we all know rules are helpful in just about every case. Yet there are times when they can also be cumbersome. I personally love it when an editor points out mistakes, ( and I've made enough of them!) or suggests other ways to write in order to strengthen the storyline or double check facts.

And don't fall into the trap of thinking "that couldn't  have happened" or "they wouldn't act that way". Dan Walsh's book, The Deepest Waters is a case in point. Many of our Australian authors incorporate things that have happened to them into their stories, even if it might seem far fetched.

Real life truth can be far stranger than fiction. And people do not always act the way we expect them to. There are many underlying reasons for this. We don't always know why we sometimes say or do things we wouldn't ordinarily do or say! So why should our characters be any different?

Ah, it all makes for great reading doesn't it? Let's remember that with the next book you read. (I mentioned Dan's book because I admit I thought he was stretching my suspension of unbelief a bit thin. How wrong was I?)

I wonder how many of us read books with our mental editor at work or whether we can switch off and enjoy.   
Rita and her husband co-present the Christian radio program Vantage Point, broadcast on FM stations around Australia. She had two historical romances published  and her novel, Signed Sealed Delivered, can be found on Amazon Kindle. Books II & III of her trilogy are still in the pipeline.

A few things I've learned from community...

I remember the first post I wrote for this blog. I was nervous (I think it may have been the first blog post I'd ever written) but I was also excited. This was something new on the Australian writing scene - a group of writers with a common goal and shared faith, writing together, striving together to build community. Until this blog (and it's accompanying Facebook group) appeared on the scene, writing faith inspired work felt incredibly lonely in Australia. There were writers, we knew each other existed somewhere, but struggling through the shelves of bookstores it was hard to locate books by artists from this side of the globe.

But once the online writing community started, it began to blossom. The situation for emerging and established faith writers is quite different now to what it was. Distance and isolation (be it due to location or situation) have been reduced and connections have been made possible. There are numerous online writers groups for people writing faith inspired work, each with it's unique angle and purpose, but all designed to support and encourage one another. There are also Yahoo groups, discussion groups and local voices growing in the blog-isphere.

The CALEB Conference emerged out of the Word Writers Fair - an event I've been privileged to attend twice, and will be attending again in the future. Online relationships were strengthened with discussions and workshops, and I believe the Australian faith inspired writing community is stronger now than it ever has been. The evidence is on in the book shelves of the Christian bookstores: Aussie books easier to find, more little Aussie symbols next to familiar books in catalogues, and authors standing by and supporting each other using the most powerful marketing strategy ever - WORD OF MOUTH.

For me, watching this growth of relationships and networking, both connected with this blog and the many, many sprawls beyond, it has been exceptionally encouraging. I feel less like a lonely little writer pushing against a tide of anonymity, more a part of a wider family. So as I write this post, the last CWD post from me for the time being, I want to say Thank You to the writers I've been privileged to meet and write with in this context. Here's some of what I've learned from you:

* Never give up. Even when it feels terribly hard and painfully lonely, there are other writers feeling exactly the same and when we push through, and keep going, it's worth it in the end.

* Aussie writers write good fiction! (Yep, I'll admit it, even I was dubious! But there are some local wordsmiths out there brave enough to tackle faith related themes and they are worth the search.)

* Networking pays off. It pays off in sales, but even more importantly in sharpening skills, promoting excellence and producing a more polished product.

* Stay true to your first love. Anyone reading back over the blog posts here will notice a common theme: writers striving against the pull of the world to write for the original Creator. It's not easy, it challenges the very motivations behind why we write, but many, many CWD posts echo the blessing received in this obedience.

* Stay connected. Whether it's here, or on other writing blogs, online groups, at writing conferences and get-togethers. It's fellowship; important, valuable and rich.

Penny Reeve is the author of more than 15 children's books including the 2013 CALEB Award Children's Category finalists More Than A Mouse and Wonderfully Madison. She recently returned from a two week trip to India with Stop the Traffik and is hoping to seek publication for her YA novel on the subject next year. For more information about Penny, or her books, visit  www.pennyreeve.com 

Inspiring Advocates to be Carriers

I'm sorry! I really am. I ignored you, all my fellow Aussie authors, for years. 


What is my excuse for such rudeness? Although I love to read, I'm picky about my books. I like a GOOD novel. You know what I mean - a book that, in my opinion, is...well... good. One that satisfies me. I like a strong story that is low on sex but high on relationships, relating minimal violence but deep with intrigue. Having read many books I didn't like, I stopped buying books unless perchance I stumbled across one that looked good or was written by Francine Rivers.


In my ignorance I didn't even know there were Australian authors! I had never heard of Mary Hawkins, Paula Vince or Meredith Resce. The shame! I was so Americanised, that I hadn't considered the possibility there were Australian books, let alone good ones.
So I humbly seek your forgiveness for my appalling ignorance and bad manners.


But then I became and author - an Australian author!


When I began to write, I assumed I would seek a publisher in the US. After all isn't that the centre of the book universe? Fortunately fate (God) intervened! I met Rochelle (Even Before Publishing) and Omega Writers. Little by little, I was introduced to the rest of you in CWD, and this rookie learned the truth about the richness of Australian Christian writing.


So having  morphed from an ignorant Aussie reader to a rookie Aussie author I asked myself; how will I be able to sell my unknown book written by an unknown author to a public that is largely as ignorant as I? I've talked to other authors and publishers.I have attended every seminar I could on marketing books.  Julie Cave challenged me when she told me that successful authors spend 25% of their time writing and 75% marketing. I put down my keyboard. I had a lot of hours of marketing to catch up on!  


So I began to build a platform. Then loomed the greatest marketing opportunity of them all. My book launch! I invited everything that moved! If I had a contact, they received an invitation. If I met someone in the street, a pink and black brochure was quickly offered. Two days before the event I was still tracking down another phone number or email address of someone who I thought might be interested. 


And we planned a great event, determined that everyone would enjoy themselves. The aim of all this activity? Sell books? Yes, but much more. Our aim was to inspire and train advocates for my book. There were 200 people in the room that night. We talked about the message of the book and explained that they were responsible to help spread the novel like a virus. Every person went home with a pink rose and the postcard below.


Has it been effective? I believe we built a strong awareness. Some are carrying my book to sell at conferences, others keep ringing to get another couple of copies for friends. Some have written reviews or talked to schools. Many are making way for speaking engagements. As I told the crowd at the book launch, I have multiplied myself 200 times!


I love the family of Aussie writers and readers that have embraced me so warmly. In the same manner, we too can support each other and continue to encourage the Australian reading public to embrace our wonderful literature. Here's to lots more great Australian books!


My apologies for any strange highlighting. Blogger added white highlighting to odd passages and not being able to remove it, I have changed it in an attempt to make it blend with the background!


Jo Wanmer has just released her first book, Though the Bud be Bruised. Although this faction tells a strong story of one family's recovery from their child's sexual abuse, it is a book of hope and grace, relating the miraculous intervention of our amazing God.