#YouToo?

By Rose Dee @rosedeeauthor

Many of you will have seen or been a part of the #MeToo movement.

It’s a social media movement aimed at highlighting sexual harassment, inspired by the recent revelations of sexual harassment and Hollywood. Behavior so predatory and abhorrent and disgraceful that the revelations about this community of men—and their enablers—almost defies belief.

Men who exhibit such predatory sexual behavior are troubled individuals. I don’t know nor understand their motivations. Is it a disregard of women as individuals with rights? Is it outright hatred of a particular woman? Or hatred of all women? Is it a spirit of pride? Is it the pursuit of power? All I know is these evil men have caused untold horrors in the lives of their victims. The #MeToo movement is an attempt to support victims and perhaps balance out some of this horror.

For those of you who don’t know, the #MeToo movement is about letting women know that they are not alone when dealing with sexual harassment. I can see where the support and encouraging words of ‘you are not alone’ will comfort a woman who has gone through or is going through this sort of torment. I have been a victim of harassment. I know how it feels.

But, like every social media movement, #MeToo is not without critics. It seems all unwanted attention from a male to a female can be deemed sexually harassing, even a wolf whistle or a well-intentioned compliment taken the wrong way. I guess it is up to the individual to make their own judgment about whether those instances are harmful harassment or not. We don’t always get to walk in each other’s shoes.

One thing has struck me about this movement: while it feels like the majority of women are racing to their keyboards to share their tales of male failure, neglect, and genuine assault, for all sorts of reasons, women are not as freely sharing the times when male encouragement and intervention has impacted them in positive, loving, and powerful ways.

I believe for every movement against something, there needs to be a movement in favor of the opposite. It’s called balance, and that balance has the potential to inspire perspective, address counteraction, and calm the storm of hurt to bring peace and understanding.

I’m not saying the #MeToo movement doesn’t have merit. It does.

I have stories I could tell about how I have been sexually harassed. Not wolf whistles, or inappropriate comments, but real cases of harm, hurt, and anger. But those times in my life fade away when I compare them to the times I’ve felt appreciated and valued by a man.

Like the day I told my husband I wanted to try my hand at writing. He was so supportive and excited by my declaration that he bought me a laptop. And his support of my changing careers does not end there. I’ve changed direction many times during our marriage, from salesperson, to student, to writer, to bookkeeper. Through all these changes, my husband has been my loudest cheerleader.

When I had my son and was suffering postnatal depression, my husband lifted me up and encouraged me to keep going, keep working at being the mum I wanted to be. I often half-jokingly say my husband is more of a feminist than any woman I know, because he never puts limits what I can do.

He is a constant encourager of my heart’s endeavors, and he backs me all the way.

My Dad was the same.

Dad thought me learning to drive a semi-trailer was a great idea . He was proud when I mastered a skill he hadn’t. Even as a teenager, Dad and I would mow our neighbors’ laws together. I’d be the one on the mower, and he would be in charge of the trimming. The fact that I was a girl didn’t come into play. In my family, it was the kid who showed the interest and had the initiative who got the advantage. Male and female gender limitations were never a struggle.

What I am saying, dear reader, is that while it is important to support and encourage women who have suffered at the hands of hateful men, I also believe it is also important to give credit and uplift the men in our lives who have loved us, changed us for the better, and supported us through thick and thin.

Spending too much time dwelling on the bad can limit the difference the good can make. So instead of #MeToo, today I choose #Supported, #Uplifted, #Loved by the men in my life.

I hope #YouToo? can recall the moments of your life when a man loved you.

First Seen in Book Fun Magazine: https://www.bookfun.org/

Rose was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her Resolution series.

Two of the three Resolution novels have won Australian CALEB awards. She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel highlighting the pain of Australia’s past policy of forced adoption, as well as standalone novel, Ehvah After. Her most recent release is the novella, A Christmas Resolution.

Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and her desire to produce stories that point readers to Jesus. Rose holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, and resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband and son. Visit Rose at: https://rosedee.com/

Spiders, Cockroaches, and FEAR

When I was a child growing up in my little Australian coastal community, I admit to having one major phobia: cockroaches. I’m not talking about those little shiny ones that avoid you as much as you avoid them.

No, I’m talking about the monstrous ones that fly (yes, fly) through the house. They have the potential to land anywhere, and mostly they landed on me—in my hair, on my back, on my face. We had one bad year where they attacked us in plague proportions. I remember my Dad telling us that he woke up one night with one biting him on the leg. Needless to say, all insect screens were repaired proto. But this time of terror meant that for many years, I fell into fits of fear every time I saw one of these flying menaces.

Then one day I saw something truly uplifting.

I saw my evil cockroach nemesis trapped in a massive spider’s web.

Okay, so I understand that for many of you, the mere mention of a spider will inspire fits of terror similar to my cockroach meltdowns, but for me this was an anxiety breakthrough. There was something out there bigger, smarter, and more powerful than that cockroach. Its flying prowess meant nothing. In fact, flying hindered it, because if it hadn’t flown, it wouldn’t have gotten stuck in the web.

As I watched the roach fight to break free, I marvelled at how close I could get to it without those feelings of anxiety kicking in. The cockroach was powerless, contained in that web by a creature that so many fear, and yet—for that moment—a creature I delighted in. The spider was my friend. In that moment it had dispelled my fear, and taught me a lesson: that fear is exhausting.

I made a decision.

From that moment on, I wasn’t going to be afraid of the massive flying cockroach. It didn’t deserve to inspire all the jumping around, screaming and crying I did in its presence, because it was so weak it couldn’t even get out of a spider’s web. With that one decision, the cockroaches’ reign of terror in my life was over.

From that day on I completely changed tactic. If one of them crossed my path, it collided with the underside of my shoe. If it dared to fly towards me, it got belted into oblivion. Pest spray, flip-flops, rolled up magazines, even the hard part of my palm became weapons.

I was on a one-woman cockroach eradication mission.

Every time the memory of my fear surfaced, I envisioned the roach in the web. I proclaimed it to be weak, because it ultimately relied on my fear to live.

In my quite moments of contemplation, I wondered if all fear is a little like this story. Substitute the cockroach for any creature, any fear, any sin, and the lesson is the same. There is always a creature bigger, a sacrifice greater, and a power mightier than anything that hurts you.

Think of Jesus as the spider and the cross as the web. All sin and fear was trapped that day. It was knocked into oblivion. All that is needed for us to gain freedom is our decision to believe the truth that we are free.

The Bible has many references to fear, many instructions not to succumb to fear. Memes have been created to remind us not to give in to fear. It’s easy to fall into fear in a global environment of terror, anxiety, and the acceptance of immorality as normality. But I’ve come to realise that all fear is like the cockroach— an insect that only had power over me because I feared it.

When I knew better, I chose better. The decision to put it in its place was my first step to overcoming.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NIV

Fear, anxiety, worry—they all have a place.

But it’s not with you.

It’s trapped on the cross with Jesus.

Making the decision to put fear where it is has the potential to change your life, and your perspective. Like my cockroach, fear will keep coming for you, long after you decide where it stands, but seek the tools to fight it off. There are many verses in the Bible that will show you the way. I have detailed a few below.

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened." 1 Peter 3:14 (NIV)
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 1:8 (NIV)
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28 (NIV)

I can’t sign off this column without one last call–out to my friendly neighbourhood spiders. Okay, so many I come across around our outback bush camp here in Australia are not so little, but they do serve a significant purpose. Please enjoy some photos I’ve taken recently of the spiders in my neighbourhood.

First seen in Book Fun Magazine; https://www.bookfun.org/

Rose was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her Resolution series.

Two of the three Resolution novels have won Australian CALEB awards. She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel highlighting the pain of Australia’s past policy of forced adoption, as well as standalone novel, Ehvah After. Her most recent release is the novella, A Christmas Resolution.

Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and her desire to produce stories that point readers to Jesus. Rose holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, and resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband and son.

Visit Rose at: https://rosedee.com/

Me, Me, ME

www.graphicstock.com

Narcissism

https://www.google.com.au/#q=Narcissism

According to the Google definition it means:

1.      excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one's physical appearance.

2.      extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of one's own talents and a craving for admiration, as characterizing a personality type.

3.      self-centredness arising from failure to distinguish the self from external objects, either in very young babies or as a feature of mental disorder.

This word has popped into my head a lot recently. Maybe it’s due to the election – let’s face it, the political world sure does have a strong narcissistic feel about it these days. Whatever the reason behind my word to life association, the angst this word has inspired in me has forced some serious contemplation.

What is it to have narcissistic tendencies? i.e. It’s all about ME.

As Christians we know the greatest commandment isn’t about us:

He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:27 (NIV)

But the world we live in is narcissistic to the core. I could go into detail about the ME elements of social media, and the ‘what’s in it for me’ voter platforms, but what I really want to talk about is the serving vs. being served scale of Christian selling.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not sitting here in my ivory tower casting forth my judgment upon the narcissistic masses. I know, full well, that I’ve subscribed to this evil. I like to think it was always without design, but I do know I have never gotten away with it. Mostly because the Lord reminders me of His call to be humble. Like this verse:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. Philippians 2.3 (NIV)

But who does that these days?

We should. We are His servants.

As authors, it’s hard to get the scale right. We all need to sell our books. We would all love people to read them, and it seems a little crazy to be sinking a heap of support into someone else’s work when we have so little time to devote to promoting our own.

And don’t get me wrong—we MUST promote our own books. I’ve always been a big advocate about working for your own work. My contemplation is regarding the scale—the balance between accepting support and being supportive of others.

This isn’t a call to finger point or judgement (how can any of us be guiltless!). It’s a call to contemplation, and, I hope, a call to action. As our annual Christian writers conference approaches, let us band together to support each other—all of us. Fiction and non-fiction. Published and unpublished. Teacher and learner.

And remember: Writing for the glory of God means it’s never about me and my work, or even you and your work. As Christians, it’s about Him and HIS work.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NIV). 

Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel, Back to Resolution. Beyond Resolution and A New Resolution are the second and third books in the Resolution series.

Back to Resolution won the Bookseller’s Choice award at the 2012 CALEB Awards, while A New Resolution won the 2013 CALEB Prize for Fiction. She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian authors, and has recently released the standalone novel, Ehvah After.

Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women. Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband and son.

Visit Rose at: https://rosedee.com/

JUST Delete THAT VERY MESMERIZING Word.

Photo via Shutterstock

My latest rewritten manuscript incorporates the word ‘very’ 181 times, the word ‘just’ 257 times, and the word ‘that’ 1055 times. ONE THOUSAND AND FIFTY FIVE TIMES! I couldn’t believe the search count. I don’t even like the word ‘that’ all ‘that’ much.

It seems like each new manuscript I write (or in this case, rewrite) has one or two extremely overused words. Unfortunately, these overused words are getting duller the more I write.

In my first story, Back to Resolution, I overused the word ‘mesmerizing’. Now this is a fabulous word, but when you have every character in a perpetual state of mesmerization, you basically have a zombie apocalypse book. I still giggle at those mental pictures.

I won’t go into the long list of other embarrassingly overused words flowing freely in my other manuscripts. Let’s just say none of them as interesting as ‘mesmerizing’.

The purpose of my sharing this mesmerizing story is this: Before you submit your manuscript to an editor, run a search on some of the commonly overused words. Some are listed below. You will be surprised how many you can delete without changing the sentence, and how much getting rid of them improves the flow of your story.

And I’d love to know some of your overused words. Come on—get honest and make me feel better about those mesmerized zombies.

Common overused words:

Just

Only

Quite

Really

Smile

Sudden

That

Very

And most -ly adverbs

Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel, Back to Resolution. Beyond Resolution and A New Resolution are the second and third books in the Resolution series.

Back to Resolution won the Bookseller’s Choice award at the 2012 CALEB Awards, while A New Resolution won the 2013 CALEB Prize for Fiction. She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian authors, and has recently released the standalone novel, Ehvah After.

Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women. Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband and son.

Visit Rose at: http://rosedee.com/

Maddening Distractions.

Meet my new puppy, Willow.

Words do not describe how much cuter she is in real life.

If you have ever had baby pet, you will understand how much time they can take out of your day. If feeding and cleaning up after them wasn’t enough, you also have to deal with keeping them from being besieged by overzealous children, and entertaining them. Then there’s the cuteness factor. How can you stand to walk past that sweet little face and not bestow love upon it?

Willow has been a great addition, and just as great a distraction to our household. But today I decided to get my act together, ignore her for as long as I can, and do some writing. She is happily sitting beside me now as I type. Looking down at her, I realise the distraction I thought she was is a mirage. Being distracted was all my fault. I allowed her presence to distract me, and if it wasn’t a new puppy, I am certain it would have been something else.

So, in an effort of full personal disclosure and accountability going forward, I am publishing the main distractions I feel keep me from my writing. I’m doing this in an effort to get it all out of my system, so I can get stuck into a January defined by productivity.

My Distractions:

1. Willow
2.  Facebook (waaaaaay too much time on this. If you check it and nothing has happened, that’s got to be too much).
3. Cooking (two batches of Mango Chutney would have been enough. The third batch was just taking up time.)
4. Coffee making and drinking (only the ones in between the entirely necessary daily cups)
5.  Going to the supermarket (make a list already!!!!!!!!)

Now that’s out of my system, and in full view of the public, I am hoping that I can kick my writing into gear.

I have to sign off now: Willow is doing something really cute. ;-)

What are the things that distract you from writing? Be brave and list them in the comments. We can compare notes. 

Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel, Back to Resolution. Beyond Resolution and A New Resolution are the second and third books in the Resolution series.

Back to Resolution won the Bookseller’s Choice award at the 2012 CALEB Awards, while A New Resolution won the 2013 CALEB Prize for Fiction. She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian authors, and has recently released the standalone novel, Ehvah After.

Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women. Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband and son.
http://rosedee.com/

Writing on the Edge

By Rose Dee

When my first novel, Back to Resolution came out in 2011, it was widely considered a novel before it’s time. Why? Mostly because, while it had Christian themes and a faith-driven story, it also had characters who drank too much alcohol, wore bikinis, made bad choices, and didn’t go to church.

You don’t find these actions in traditional Christian novels.

While I knew my work was different from the traditional market, I naively thought there had to be others, like me, who wanted to read about imperfect Christian and non-Christian characters who are changed and redeemed by the love of Christ. I was correct—there were—but the prediction that my books were before their time was also true.

After flagging around in the marketplace for years, working my guts out on marketing and promotion, and getting next to nowhere, I knew something had to be done. My recent attendance at the ACFW conference in the US produced two possible lines of attack:

1. Change my work to suit the traditional Christian market. This meant rewriting the books I have and ensuring any new releases meet the conservative guidelines this market demands.
2. Embrace the Edgy tag, self-publish my work and join the growing band of Indie authors.

Edgy Christian Fiction/Romance is not a new term. My work has been classed as edgy for years, but what I have noticed is a recent emergence of this type of storytelling as a genre. There are a growing number of authors and readers who class themselves as ‘Edgy’. Groups dedicated to this genre are popping up everywhere, and there is a lot of internet talk about the movement.

This is how I have termed my work in the Edgy sphere (taken from my website);

Edgy is a term relating to the emerging market of inspirational/clean stories incorporating Christian values and faith, but still retaining the fallible nature of humanity. My characters are young men and women who suffer the drastic consequences of bad choices. One female character finds herself stripping for a living; another is a single mother, and in my latest novel, my main character is a celebrity has-been.

While my books are not traditional Christian fiction, they are written from a Christian world view. You won't find any sex scenes or severe profanity between the pages.

What I hope you will discover are entertaining stories of redemptive characters, and a myriad of spectacular word landscapes picturing my home, Australia.

So why have I decided to go Edgy?

1. Because it’s where I know the Lord wants me to be. He’s always wanted me there, but there was no ‘there’ when I started out, so He had me wait and learn, until there was an open door.
2. Because my work has been edgy from the start. Every story I have written has been edgy, by the traditional definition. It’s who I am, and I know the Lord can use it for His purpose.
3. Because no matter how hard I try, I will never fit into that traditional mould. It’s not me. As a reader, my growing frustration with the narrow confines of most Christian romance was one of the reasons I decided to write my own stories. It makes no sense to change to suit an industry ideal, especially one that didn’t suit me as a reader.

So how will life be, writing on the ‘edge’? I have no idea.

Emerging markets are unpredictable and hard work. But they are also exciting, and for me, having finally found my place means I have a newfound sense of peace and a clear way forward.

I don’t expect the path to be easy. I’ve had a good cry to the Lord about having to start all over again, but I have a mandate to trust, obey, and work. Onwards and upwards!

Please check out my newly revamped website embracing my Edgy tag.

If you are interested in more edgy news, please sign up to my newsletter. I’ll only contact you when I have a give-away, promotion, or new release – only news that matters. There is a link on the side bar of my website, http://rosedee.com/.

If you are interested in a free review copy of my new release, Ehvah After please contact me at: rose.dee@bigpond.com.

About Rose Dee 

Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel, Back to Resolution.

Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women. Beyond Resolution and A New Resolution are the second and third books in the Resolution series.

Rose’s debut novel Back to Resolution won the Bookseller’s Choice award at the 2012 CALEB Awards, while A New Resolution won the 2013 CALEB Prize for Fiction. She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian authors.

Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.

What’s in a Name?

Readers have picked up on my love for unusual names. I undertake serious contemplation regarding the names of my main characters, mulling over possibilities for weeks, sometimes months.

I like using unusual names in my writing, because in my life I find they are far more memorable than standard, everyday names. It is also important to me because most people will not know a person called Bay, Navy or Anika. As a writer, the disassociation with the real world allows me to fully create a unique individual without real-life idiosyncrasies to get in the way. I love that my readers have this same freedom.

I have to admit that coming up with new and interesting names is sometimes difficult. Pouring through baby name sites is a tedious task, and one you can only do for so long before complete overload sets in. I have been blessed to have a very creative friend, who I have ‘stolen’ names from for past characters. I have used two on the top of her list, and she has been happy to pass them on to me.

My current work in progress will be no disappointment to those who love my unusual character names. As I am in the editing process, and contemplating changing some names of my minor characters, I wondered today how other writers come up with their names. Are there those who, like me, don’t want a name of a person they have known because of the unavoidable association? How do you choose the names for your characters? 

Visit Rose Dee at: http://rosedee.com/

Aussie Authors – What More Can We Do?

It isn’t easy to achieve success as an author. Being an Australasian Christian author is even tougher, because it’s a relatively unknown niche market.  At a time when mainstream authors are struggling to make a living, how can our tiny niche expect to gain ground?

As Australasian authors, we are known within our small circle, but how do we expand our work to a world that is already crowded with better-known international names? And what about the endless supply of self-published releases, and ebooks for sale at a fraction of the price of our paperbacks? The competition is steep.

I don’t know how many readers I have here in Australia, but it often frustrates me when I think of the small market share we must have, even here in our own country.

So what more can we do? The prospect of marketing ourselves and our books is daunting, even overwhelming at times. I know there are some ways we can help ourselves. There are avenues of advice and direction that we, as individuals, can tap into. The internet is full of “how to’s” when it comes to advertising and promotion.

I appreciate that a lot of these ideas can be effective, but today, as I contemplate how successful breakthroughs could be made, it occurred to me that there was one vital and ultimately far more powerful tool we could be underutilising—the power of prayer.

I hope we all pray about our own work, and I know many of my fellow authors support and lift up my work in prayer, in the same way as I support them. After all, our writing is our ministry, our service to God. What would happen if we all came together in prayer for our industry as a whole? It’s a fledgling industry—ministry—worth praying for, and I believe that the Lord has wonderful things waiting for all of us.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

1 Peter 5:6 (NIV)

So, I am asking that we all pray the Lord will open His doors for our Australasian Christian Writing community this year, 2015. And that He will bring His help and blessing to our industry as we seek to serve Him in obedience and love.

Rose Dee

Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel, Back to Resolution.
Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women.

Beyond Resolution and A New Resolution are the second and third books in the Resolution series.

Rose’s debut novel Back to Resolution won the Bookseller’s Choice award at the 2012 CALEB Awards, while A New Resolution won the 2013 CALEB Prize for Fiction.

She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian authors. Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.

Visit Rose at: www.rosedee.com

Photo from www.lightstock.com

Unconventional Gifts of Love

By Rose Dee

In days of old, men would write poetry to their beloved, or pen prose to make the heart sing and swoon. Artists would paint pictures. Romantics would send flowers. All these gifts were intended to delight and entrance the beloved.  My beloved has recently delighted me with a somewhat unconventional gift of love: A deck.

Since we began building our bush camp, I have wanted—desired—a deck. A place where I could sit and while away the day. A place where I could write, read, or work. A place just above the bird bath where all the native animals would come and visit me. The best view in the camp.

You can imagine my delight when I arrived at the camp last week and my deck was sitting waiting for me, complete with its own bench seat, nibbles table, shade sail, and flower pots. My husband (along with his good mate, a big believer in the attributes of outdoor spaces) had spent countless hours  constructing my new deck.

My new place of peace couldn't have come at a better time for me. I was feeling very down, and the sight of my deck lifted my spirits. But my spirits were also lifted by the gift of love, the thought and effort the boys put into the job. It was a great sacrifice and I felt as though my husband had really heard me, and set out to show me he loved me.

Gifts of love come in many forms. Sometimes they are the obvious ones, and sometimes they are outside the expected. For me, no poetry, flowers, or other grand gesture would come close what my husband made for me—my deck, my own little part of the world to enjoy.

Have you ever received an unconventional gift of love? Please share it with us in the comments. 

About Rose Dee 

Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel, Back to Resolution.

Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women. Beyond Resolution and A New Resolution are the second and third books in the Resolution series.

Rose’s debut novel Back to Resolution won the Bookseller’s Choice award at the 2012 CALEB Awards, while A New Resolution won the 2013 CALEB Prize for Fiction. She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian authors.

Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.

Escapism vs. Reality

By Rose Dee

Escapism vs Reality

Images of inhumanity, violence, and hatred have been showing up on social media sites for months. These horrors of war play out as I scroll through my newsfeed. Some images I wish I could un-see so I can pretend they didn’t happen, but in my heart I know an awareness of these horrific events fosters a new understanding of what is worth fighting for, and what, as a citizen of a righteous country, I can do to help the innocent worldwide.

Then I sit down to my work in progress, a story about a young woman struggling to find her way through the complexities of western culture, and for once my story doesn’t feel enough. I wonder if I should be creating fictional characters with ‘real’ problems, like the ones currently facing Christians in these war-torn regions. Problems like where to get their next meal, how to protect their children, and where to run as they flee for their lives. My character, with her semi-troubled childhood and lost way, doesn’t compare with these heroic individuals who are facing terrible deaths because they refuse to deny their Lord and Savior, Jesus.

I have pondered the guts of my fiction writing ministry for some time, and have come to a few conclusions:

1. Comparing the fictional world of storytelling with the real life version of life and death is pointless. I have been given a heart and direction from the Lord to write entertaining stories with a message, not real-life stories, no matter how heroic. I need to be obedient to my God-given calling.
   
2. Nothing I do for God is in vain, even if at times my task seems insignificant compared to the problems the world is facing. At the end of the day, if He has a plan for my work, then I need to continue to the work to His completion.
   
3. No matter what atrocities face the world, escapism has always been a blessing. And the world needs more Christian escapism, stories with messages of faith holding all kinds of introductions to Jesus.

I decided to continue on my fiction path, while praying for a world in turmoil, brothers and sisters in need (no matter where they are), and the intervention of people willing to stand up. But also to continue to write my stories the way the Lord would have me write. If I do this, I know God’s mandate will be fulfilled in my life, as it will be for the world.

What are your thoughts on the role Christian authors play when looking at the current horrific events unfolding worldwide?

Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel, Back to Resolution.

Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women. Beyond Resolution and A New Resolution are the second and third books in the Resolution series.

Back to Resolution won the Bookseller’s Choice award at the 2012 CALEB Awards, while A New Resolution won the 2013 CALEB Prize for Fiction. She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian authors.

Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.

Life Tastes Better Served on a Fancy Plate.

By Rose Dee

My favourite tea cup had a chip the size of a marble. It was time to trade it in for a newer model—that was when I first saw the Wedgwood cup. It was a delicate teacup with a swirly handle inlaid with an opulent blue and gold floral design. It was the perfect size and shape. I swear the tea tasted better in this new, pretty little cup.

There was only one problem in purchasing such an elegant object—it made all my other crockery look very ordinary indeed. But I had a set of expensive Old Country Roses china that had sat in my display cabinet since my wedding. I had always been worried about using them. They were for ‘good’—except the ‘good’ opportunities came and went through the years, and I would always forget to put out the ‘good’ china. It was time for a change, so out came the wedding china.

Now we relish every minute of our morning tea, enjoying our bikkies from beautiful rose-patterned plates. It doesn't matter that my husband sits in dirty work clothes, and I am generally in ordinary around-the-house attire.

It struck me today that that Wedgwood teacup, a very small addition to our lives, had actually triggered a wonderful awakening. If I hadn't realized how great it felt to eat from such lovely china, I would never have pulled that wedding present out of the cupboard. It would still be sitting behind glass doors collecting dust, year after year.

I began to think about how many times we keep our own inner talents hidden in the same manner. We hide them away, thinking that one day they will come out. One day we will sing that song; one day we will paint that picture; one day we will write that book. So many of us sit on these special talents until that ‘one day’ when we think we will finally use them.

Let me say today is that day. Do that one thing you have always wanted to do, because once you do, you can open up a whole world of new experiences and joy. You may still be like me and my hubby, enjoying a wonderful thing in the midst of a very ordinary existence, but the joy lies not in the measure of success, but in the enjoyment we gain and share with others.

Today is your day. Use that precious china – because if you don’t, it will be given to someone else for their enjoyment.

Matthew 25:28-29

'So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.'

Read the full story of the Talents: 

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A14-30&version=ESV

Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel, Back to Resolution.

Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women.

Beyond Resolution, and A New Resolution are the second and third books in the Resolution series.

Rose’s debut novel Back to Resolution won Bookseller’s Choice at the CALEB Awards 2012. A New Resolution won the Fiction prize, CALEB 2013.

She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian authors.

Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.

Visit Rose at: http://rosedee.com/