Balancing Hope and Reality

by @CarolynMAuthor

A few weeks ago my mother and I watched the film The Bookshop, based on the novel by Penelope Fitzgerald. This evocative film is about Florence Green, a widow in the late 1950s, who tries to establish a bookshop in a small English town against the wishes of the controlling doyenne of the local community, and is (*spoiler alert!*) ultimately unsuccessful.

Not having read the book, I was (unpleasantly) surprised by the ending, which prompted a conversation with my mother about how it perhaps reflected the reality of many small business owners who invest huge amounts of capital and time and energy into their dreams, only to see them fail. It's not the Australian dream, it's definitely not the American dream, but it is many people's reality. We try, and sometimes we don't succeed.

Driving away from the movie I started to wonder how this story could have ended. Should it have been more of an 'underdog wins against all odds' story? Or would that have been too simple, a Disney response to a world that doesn't like to face uncomfortable truths? Was I simply caught in the romance writer's bubble of 'happy-ever-after'? One of the central themes was about how the courage of this small, kind-hearted woman gave courage to others, so it wasn't completely depressing. But it was unsettling.

I believe hope is one of the most wonderful aspects of being a Christian, and something that we should offer in a desperate world hungry for good news. Yet this tension exists between creating stories that are real with ones that offer the chance to escape reality, and enter a different world where hope can perhaps be more plainly seen.

Sometimes I see this tension as people discuss the types of fiction they enjoy reading and/or writing, contemporary vs historical, realistic vs fantasy, redemptive vs squeaky clean Christian. (Side note: It's funny how what one person sees as 'squeaky clean' another might see very differently. I saw this recently with two editors both working for my publishers which saw certain sections of manuscript red flagged by one editor after the other okayed it. 😬)

Sometimes this 'either/or' mentality isn't helpful, as we can focus more on what perceived differences are than what we have in common. For whether we are published or not, self-published or traditionally published in Australia or the US (or not), writing stories for the general market or for Christians, stories that subtly allude to Christian truths or include Bible references, the most important thing we need to offer is a sense of hope.

Yes, we can be gritty. Yes, we can be real. But if our words don't ultimately offer something that fuels courage and persistence and enables readers to dream and not despair, then our readers might as well be watching the news.

I no longer enjoy watching the news. (Side note: does anyone truly 'enjoy' it? "Ohhh, look, here comes the bit about the grisly murder in Sydney! Yay, can't wait!") I don't particularly enjoy the uncertainty it delivers along with a sensationalised side of negativity; it doesn't restore my soul or give any great confidence for the future. Call me naive but I prefer what I watch and read to instil a sense of courage, of reassurance, that victory is possible, something that I hope my novels can offer also.

A person's need for story varies at different times, and in different seasons in life. A 'happily-ever-after' might seem a bit raw to someone in mourning, or it might give that person comfort, or possibly even courage to one day dream again. We can't know how our words will be received.

But we CAN know that God is good, and that He gives us hope, and in Jesus Christ, He gives hope to all who believe. So even if our stories are gritty and realistic and grounded in the cares and concerns of this world, we know that ultimately, in Him, there is a happy ending when good triumphs over evil.

Something that gives us hope.

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked part-time as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher. 

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her Regency novels include The Elusive Miss Ellison, The Captivating Lady Charlotte, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, Winning Miss Winthrop and Miss Serena's Secret, all available from Amazon, Book Depository, Koorong, etc

Connect with her:        website | facebook | pinterest | twitter| instagram

Announcing ... An Aussie Summer Christmas

By Meredith Resce

(A cross-post from International Christian Fiction Writers.)

The Christmas season—as we call it in Australia—is always a favourite time of year for me. As a kid we would have the various school graduation services, Christmas parties, and end-of-year breakup parties all at one time. December was crazy. Living on the farm, it was also harvest time, and though it was getting hot, we would struggle to find someone to take us to the next town, where the district swimming pool was located. December is beach weather, but there was less chance of making it to the coast, an hour’s drive away.

Instead, we would spend that week before Christmas decorating the house, putting fake frost on the windows, watching Christmas movies that featured snow and sleds, and hanging Christmas lights that we couldn’t switch on until late because of the long summer days. I had no idea what Christmas in the cold must be like, with long dark nights, snow, fires and hot drinks. We had those images on our Christmas cards, and joined in with Bing as he sang ‘White Christmas’.

It was all part of the season.

The best part was Christmas Eve. We would go into town to the little church and sing those precious old carols, accompanied by my grandmother on the old pump organ. Then we’d go to the main street where the locals would gather to sing carols out the front of the shop. Santa would arrive on the back of a ute (that’s Aussie for truck), we’d all get an ice-block and lollies (candy/sweets), and then tie ourselves in knots of excitement waiting for Santa to come visit. Of course he would visit us in Australia first, as we are a good ten to fourteen hours ahead of other countries. (He’d drop into New Zealand first, of course.)

So when I was asked to be part of this Christmas box set that had an Aussie theme, I was excited to have the opportunity. Just as I’m not familiar with the white Christmas, I’m guessing there are a number of readers out there who would not be familiar with our warm, summer Christmas.

We also have a beach theme. 

Luckily, I have had some experience with the beach since my childhood, so I’ve chosen one of the world’s most popular surf beaches—Torquay, Victoria.

In this set we have four Australian authors, and you will get a great mix. Two of the authors, Rose and Andrea, are from Queensland, a tropical region that is always warm and humid. One of the authors is from Canberra, the nation’s capital city. Canberra is nowhere near the coast, but Narelle has set her story in Sydney. I’m from the region known as the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, but I’ve set my story in Victoria.

Then, as part of the set, we have international authors, Lacy Williams and Marion Ueckermann. Lacy lives in Oklahoma (that’s a mile or two away from the Australian coast), and Marion lives in South Africa. I’ve read their Aussie stories, and felt they did a good job of representing those of us from Down Under.

During the proofing process I got to read each of the stories included in this set, and you are in for a treat: some engaging characters and great plot lines, with that added element of visiting Australia during the Christmas season. We don’t say ‘holiday season’ because we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving and Halloween. But we sure do celebrate Christmas and New Year. Barbeque, back-yard cricket, trips to the beach, and the odd case of sunburn.

Join us this holiday season, and take a trip Down Under.

About Meredith Resce

Meredith Resce is a popular Australian Christian fiction author, who has had novels in the Australian Christian market since 1997. She is proud of her Australian rural heritage, and is looking forward to sharing with readers from the international Christian Fiction community.

Her story, Falling for Maddie Grace, is set against the back drop of Australia’s number one spectator sport, Aussie Rules football. Maddie Grace, Australia’s first professional female umpire, gets caught up in an on field incident that sees her clash with a player, Zac Beecham. The accidental tangle brings about more than a trip to the hospital. The over-imaginative press decide there is a secret love affair between the two – a situation that, if true, compromises Maddie’s position and Zac’s reputation.

The other stories in the collection are:

Melbourne Memories by USA Today bestselling author Marion Ueckermann

Escaping his dangerous past, former British rock star Justin “The Phoenix” Taylor flees to Australia. Intrigued by the bearded stranger visiting her coffee shop, Ella Anderson decides to discover his secrets. But when Justin’s past collides with their future, Ella must decide whether they have a future at all.

Next Door Santa by USA Today bestselling author Lacy Williams

Will Harris is proud of his no-complications life. So why is he drawn to his upstairs neighbor, who seems obsessed with Christmas? Can Bridie soften Will-the-Scrooge’s heart in time for Christmas?

Seaside Christmas by Narelle Atkins

Political advisor and former bad boy Gus Donovan is intrigued by Chelsea Somers, the girl he didn’t call after their one and only date, six years ago. Chelsea is impressed by the new Gus, but can she trust him with her family secrets ... and with her heart?

A Christmas Resolution by Rose Dee

Breeah has avoided returning to her Australian coastal hometown of Kiisay Point for ten years—avoided the mistake that changed her life, ruined her friendships, and soured her first love. She’s never returned to Resolution, the island where it all happened. But now she’s back, and having to face up to the childhood she loved, the man she can’t forget, and the future that won’t start until she lets it all go.

All is Bright by Andrea Grigg

Amy’s always been a good Christian girl…except for being in love with her brother-in-law. Josh is looking for love again, surprised to find it with his late wife’s sister. But will a mountain of guilt and an unexpected letter stop them from making it to the altar?

Preorder An Aussie Summer Christmas from Amazon.com

My thoughts on sweet romance (plus a giveaway)

Put your feet up and join me for a cup of tea while I share some thoughts with you.

Last weekend I attended my first ever Romance Writers of Australia conference held at the gorgeous Park Hyatt in Melbourne and it was sensational! Joining me were 100 "newbies" and 300 other romance authors from a cross section of genres. Just about every type of romance book you can imagine was represented - and many types of romance you probably wouldn't have imagined! I met authors of historical romance, contemporary romance, rural romance (my main genre) medical romance, suspense, erotica, paranormal, young adult, and of course inspirational and Christian romance.

It was fabulous to meet fellow ACW authors Narelle Atkins and Andrea Grigg. One of the great things about sharing a room with these girls is the way we dug deep in our conversations about all things romance. One of the negatives of sharing a room was we didn't get much sleep!

As Andrea has mentioned in a previous post, she's about to launch herself in the general romance market as Andi Eden which is a brave move for anyone, especially a Christian. I have first hand experience of how difficult it is to uphold and maintain a Christian worldview while writing general market romance. Thankfully, although some readers want it, my publisher has not asked me to turn up the heat on what I write.

The three of us were joined by Catherine Hudson and Iola Goulton one afternoon and we had a fabulous conversation about romance writing and writing in general. After the conference, Andrea, Iola and Catherine headed off to join Dorothy Adamek at her house for an intensive writing course with Margie Lawson. To say Narelle and I are jealous is an understatement - but there's always next year! Note that name: Margie Lawson - I'm sure you'll hear lots more about her.

One of the things that struck me most at the conference was how many people were fascinated when Narelle and Andrea told them they write Christian/inspirational romance. They were equally fascinated when I explained that I'm a Christian but don't write Christian/inspirational romance.

But I do write "clean" romance.

And it's this idea of "clean" or as I prefer to describe it, "sweet" romance I want to talk about today.

So, what is it?

I characterise a sweet romance as a heartfelt love story that won't make you blush when you read it. Your kids can read it and so can your mother-in-law! You won't have to hide it on your e-reader, wrap the cover in brown paper or avoid reading it on the train! You won't have to cringe at euphemisms used to describe body parts or be bombarded by the f-bomb. I explained to one publisher the reason why I write sweet romance - my husband is a pastor currently working in a school as a chaplain. She laughed and said, "I totally understand!"

To me, a sweet romance doesn't mean the characters are lily white, only hold hands, only have sex after marriage and always tiptoe through the tulips in the sunshine. My books are about real life Australian characters facing real life circumstances. My hero and heroine fall in love and come together, but their actual joining together occurs off the page. Or behind closed doors. In other words, any scenes that allude to my characters having sex are faded to black. I focus on the characters, the setting, the storyline and the circumstances of the romance, without the sex.

A lot of Christians assume I write general market in order to subtly impose my Christian worldview on readers. This could not be further from the truth. As I've heard Narelle say on many occasions, readers are not stupid. Non-Christian readers looking for a clean or sweet read do not want to be hit around the head with the Bible and who can blame them? Trust me, even when you think you're being subtle about it - they smell anvilicious proselytizing a mile away! (Andrea Grigg will be speaking at the Christian Writer's Conference in Bacchus Marsh later this year and she will share one of the reviews I received on this exact topic.)

Finding good sweet romance reads often isn't an easy task. I've found that people seem to have different definitions of what constitutes "sweet".

Andrea Grigg/Andi Eden(!) and I are currently considering building a database of sweet romance books - books you can read that still uplift and encourage, but are not from a Christian perspective. Some of you won't like reading those types of books, but others are keen to read something other than Christian or inspirational romance.

In another post at another time, I will share this list as it evolves, but in the meantime, you might enjoy reading Alissa Callen's books. Check out Alissa's website here.

We met Alissa at the conference and like me, she writes small town rural fiction from a sweet perspective. Alissa is not a Christian, but is one of the sweetest girls you'll ever meet. I hope you'll find her on Facebook and 'friend' her and I encourage you to check out her books if you're looking for excellent sweet romance. I have personally read all her books and can endorse them as sweet.

Or perhaps you might even like to read my own! My second book, Emergency Response is due for release on October 22nd but is available for pre-order now.

My first book, Intensive Care is the first in the "Birrangulla" series and worth reading before Emergency Response. I'm currently working on Life Support, the third book in the series.

For purchase links, please click here to go to my website or my books can be found wherever e-books are sold.

As always, I love to connect with readers and other writers - especially those who write sweet romance. I'd also love to hear about some of the sweet romance books that you've read. Why were these stories memorable reads? And for you, what constitutes a "sweet" romance?

Leave a comment below and I'll enter you in the drawing to win a Kindle ebook copy of Intensive Care. I'll announce the winner in a comment on this post on Wednesday, September 3rd.

"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws."

Blessings and love,

Nicki
x

Nicki Edwards calls herself a city girl with a country heart. Growing up on a small family acreage she spent her formative years riding horses, and pretending the neighbour’s farm was her own. After spending three years in a regional town in New South Wales, her love of small country towns was further developed. One day she plans to escape to the country with her husband Tim, and live on land, surrounded by horses, dogs, cattle and sheep.

In 2006, when Nicki’s youngest child started school, she returned to university, juggling full time study, part time work and four small children, to achieve another of her dreams—becoming a nurse.

A voracious reader, Nicki always wanted to write, and once considered a career as a journalist. Her debut novel, ‘Intensive Care” was released in January 2014.

Now, when Nicki isn’t reading, writing or dreaming about rural life and medical emergencies, she can be found working as a Critical Care Nurse in a busy Intensive Care Unit, where many of her stories and characters are imagined.

Nicki and Tim reside in Geelong, Victoria with their four teenage/young adult children. Her life is busy, fun and at times exhausting, but she wouldn’t change it for anything.

Please check out Nicki's brand new website and subscribe to her newsletter HERE.

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