On the one hand I'm very excited about my new novel "Charlotte's Angel", being released. It's one of my favourite stories, and certainly important for those who've read Mary's Guardian, as it's the continuing story of William and Mary. But Charlotte's Angel is also the story of the next generation of Australians - those born to the survivors of the First Fleet. Charlotte, I believe, is a character who will capture the hearts of readers. However, hers is also a story which makes me remember again that generation after generation we continue to have living amongst us those who are vulnerable, endangered and at risk. In my writing of Mary's Guardian I think I've likened our earliest convict settlers to our current boat people; men and women who had to prove themselves worthy of acceptance and decency in a strange world, and who had to find extraordinary courage, faith and determination to survive. The children they bore were fortunate if their parents had the moral and spiritual fortitude to survive in healthy and safe ways. That didn't always happen of course, and so Charlotte's early life was anything but wholesome or safe. Hers is the story of growing up in a broken home, amidst violence and immorality. So sad that this is still so prevalent today, and if Jesus's warning to us is anything to go by, then we will always have these vulnerable and needy ones with us. In Charlotte's Angel I've tried to write a story of hope for the needy and a challenge for those of us who have the opportunity and the resources to reach out and touch their lives; to be God's angels to those in need who cross our paths.
