Exploring Genre: Romance Novellas and Novelettes

By Narelle Atkins @NarelleAtkins

A romance novella can be defined as a short and complete romance story with a typical word length that ranges between 20,000 to 40,000 words.

A novelette has a word count starting at 7,500 words. A story with a word count between 17,500 to 20,000 words may be defined as either a novella or a novelette.

Stories longer than 40,000 words are considered short novels.

Traditionally Published Romance Anthologies

Novellas and novelettes have always been popular in the romance genre.

Pre-Kindle and the emergence of ebooks, romance publishers would often release trade length novella collections containing a number of stories.

In 1997 Aussie author Mary Hawkins had a Christmas novella, Searching for a Star, published in the Christmas Dreams 4 story novella anthology by Barbour.

In 2017 Aussie author Lucy Thompson had her historical romance, Waltzing Matilda, included in a 9 story anthology The Captive Brides Collection published by Barbour.

The stories are connected by a common theme: Can their captive hearts be freed to dream, to dare, to love?

Novellas that are connected to a series

A Tuscan Legacy is a multi-author contemporary Christian romance novella series that includes a family mystery plot. A Tuscan Legacy opens with a short novel length Book 1 - That's Amore.

My contribution to A Tuscan Legacy is Solo Tu (Book 7) set in Sydney, Australia. I've indie published four romance novellas and Solo Tu is my longest, coming in at just under 40,000 words.

Mary's Hawkins' Australia romance collection from Barbour included three short novels and a novella.

Nicki Edwards' Operation Mistletoe Magic and Operation White Christmas are part of her 'An Escape to the Country' rural romance series.

Novella Prequel to Book 1 in a Series

In recent years we’ve seen the rise in popularity of the romance novella being used as a marketing tool to launch a series.

The prequel ebook novella is effectively a loss leader. It's often priced at 99c or free with the goal of funnelling readers into the new series. Alternatively, the prequel novella may be a 'reader magnet' and given away for free to readers who have subscribed to the author's newsletter.

These marketing strategies are used in all fiction genres for both traditionally and independently published series.

Novellas in ebook multi-author boxed set series

Boxed sets started to gain popularity in the Kindle store in 2013 and they remain a favorite with readers. 'An Aussie Summer Christmas' was released two years ago. For a limited time we offered six ebook novellas for the bargain price of 99 cents. The novellas in the set included A Christmas Resolution, All is Bright, Falling for Maddie Grace, Melbourne Memories, Santa Next Door and my novella Seaside Christmas.

My Inspy Romance author friends have put together A Christmas to Remember - on sale for Christmas 2018.

Print book single author collections

Authors sometimes combine their books into one print book collection. Meredith Resce has included two novellas and two short stories in Four Short Stories: Falling for Maddie Grace; And Where There's Smoke.

Standalone Romance Novellas

Tips for writing a romance novella or novelette

Ensure the plot isn't too big and complex

There's only room to develop a single romance plot in the shorter length romance novellas and novelettes. The shorter the word length, the larger the focus of the story will be on the hero and heroine. The word length puts limitations on the amount of time the minor characters can be on-stage in the story.

Limit the point of view characters to the hero and heroine or a single viewpoint.

In a typical romance novella or novelette there isn't space to include a minor character point of view. An exception would be a romantic suspense that may include short scenes in the villian's point of view.

Shorter time frame stories often work well

A good example is Amy Matayo's romance novella Christmas at Gate 18.

Reunion romances are popular tropes

If the couple already know each other and have an established history, the romance plot can get moving at a faster pace from the start without losing plot plausibility with readers.

External conflict and forced proximity is important

The shorter the story, the more the balance between scene and sequel will skew toward shorter sequels. The external conflict is what pushes the hero and heroine to be on-stage together in the scenes.

Tight writing and fast scene transitions

Every word counts in a shorter length story. The tighter the writing, the more space the author will have to write the important sequels that allow the reader to take a breath and reflect between the fast paced action scenes in the story.

Any Questions?

Have you written a romance novella or novelette? Do you enjoy reading them? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, NARELLE ATKINS was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia.

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What if ALL ebooks were available for FREE... ?

By Narelle Atkins @NarelleAtkins

A decade ago... 

I don’t know if many of us could have envisaged how much the introduction of ebooks and independent publishing would radically change the publishing landscape.

In 2010 I was buying print books from bricks and mortar stores, and online from Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and The Book Depository. I borrowed print books from the library that I couldn’t afford to buy. I was gifted print and PDF advance reader copies (ARC’s) to write reviews on Amazon and blogs. I entered blog contests to win print books.

Fast forward to 2018

It’s now possible to have more ebooks in our online accounts than we have time to read in our lifetime. We can purchase a monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited or other online libraries to access millions of titles. Plus we can listen to audiobooks that can be purchased or borrowed online.

Yet even with all these cheap and free ebooks, some readers still download free books from pirate sites.

Book Piracy is theft and steals income from authors

Book piracy is rampant. It’s a problem that we, as a society, can’t seem to eradicate or effectively police. The underlying problem is the willingness of readers to risk downloading viruses and malware from illegal sites offering pirated ebooks rather than paying to buy or borrow an ebook from a legitimate site.

Some readers even abuse authors when they can't download books for free. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/aug/08/elitist-angry-book-pirates-ocean-of-pdf-author-campaign-website?CMP=share_btn_fb

While there is a demand for pirated books by readers, there will continue to be people motivated to steal and supply the stolen intellectual property.

Piracy is theft. It is illegal. It is stealing in the same way that walking out of a store wearing a pair of shoes you haven’t paid for is stealing.

It is not a ‘harmless activity’ to secretly download and read stolen intellectual property from pirated sites.

Everyone in the publishing and book selling industry is negatively impacted by the unauthorised distribution of stolen intellectual property. 

There are negative financial consequences that directly impact author earnings.

Kara Isaac has written an insightful post on the Seekerville blog that clearly outlines how book piracy hurts authors and damages their ability to earn income from book sales.

http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2018/03/all-pirates-arent-in-ocean-book-piracy.html?m=1

Some might argue that the people who download pirated ebooks were unlikely to be your paying customers.

Joanna Penn has written a post on this topic.

https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2017/02/23/piracy/ 

There is merit to this argument and it underpins the crisis that is looming for all creatives.

Others say piracy does hurt them, and it hurts readers as well.

If an early book in a series doesn't make enough paid sales, the publisher might decide there is no demand and cut the print run of future books ... or not publish them at all.

Maggie Stiefvater has shared her story and explained how piracy has hurt her book sales.

http://maggie-stiefvater.tumblr.com/post/166952028861/ive-decided-to-tell-you-guys-a-story-about

Why are many people no longer prepared to pay to read literature or listen to music or watch films?

The scary truth is that there is a growing section of our society who hold the fundamental belief that they should be able to read all literature for free.

Public libraries have always provided access to books, which is a good thing, but there were and still are reasonable limitations on an individual’s access to library books.

I continue to ponder why a reader may be prepared to pay $5 for a cup of coffee, but not be prepared to pay $5 to purchase an ebook? Would this reader have been prepared to pay $15 a decade ago to purchase a print book at a store in the mall?

I recently saw an ad from a book newsletter provider with a headline along the lines of ‘never pay for an ebook again’.

Bloggers, including Kristen Lamb, have written multiple articles that examine why ‘writing for free for exposure’ is usually a bad idea.

https://authorkristenlamb.com/2017/10/welcome-to-the-matrix-you-work-for-free-there-is-no-payday/

https://authorkristenlamb.com/2017/10/writers-working-for-free/

If the current trend continues, where will we end up in ten years? What will the publishing world look like in 2028?

What if readers stop buying books?

What if they stop paying for Kindle Unlimited and other ebook library subscriptions?

Is there anything we can do to stop the gradual devaluation of literature in our society?

I’m a strong believer that publishers and authors teach their customers how to buy their books. Readers like consistency in pricing and don’t like feeling ripped off. Strong branding and high quality writing can conquer many obstacles and contribute to building a loyal readership.

Romance author Bella Andre takes this approach. She doesn't offer the first book in her series free, or offer special launch prices. She believes in cultivating readers who are prepared to pay full price ($5.99) for her ebooks, and discounting to $2.99 or $1.99 only when she gets an advertising spot that will introduce her to new readers.

The message that isn’t being heard is simple. Authors deserve to be paid in the same way that doctors and teachers and bus drivers and restaurant staff deserve to be paid for the work they undertake. This is a biblical principle: the labourer is worthy of his (or her) hire (e.g. Luke 10:7 and 1 Timothy 5:18).

Authors, and those in the publishing industry who produce and sell books, deserve to be paid for the work involved in publishing and selling books.

It’s not reasonable for our society to expect writers and other creatives to work for free.

It’s time for us to stand up and say enough is enough. Stand up against exploitation and the attitude that it’s okay for people to steal our intellectual property.

If you value literature, put your money where your mouth is and spend some of your hard earned cash on purchasing books and/or writing library subscriptions that generate income for authors.

If you’re an Aussie, borrowing books from our public libraries provides public lending rights income for local authors.

Authors and publishers, don’t give away every single ebook you publish for free. Research how ‘loss leaders’ work, and learn the success strategies that underpin how offering a free book can funnel sales to your other books.

Teach readers to buy your books rather than wait patiently for all of your books to become available for free.

Writers, value your intellectual property and don’t be flattered into ‘writing for free’ to benefit someone else’s website SEO or advertising revenue. Find opportunities where you’re paid according to the quality of your actual writing. Generate affiliate income on your own site rather than allowing someone else to exploit your ‘free writing’ on their site.

Above all, have the courage to believe that your writing is valuable and worthy and deserving of payment.

A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, NARELLE ATKINS was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Tuesday Book Chat | 28th August 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.  

Let's chat. How do you discover new books?

Tuesday Book Chat | 21st August 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.  

Let's chat. Do you subscribe to book deal email lists?

Book Recommendation - Snowy Summer by Patricia Weerakoon

Book Description:

Annie Samarasinghe has it all together.

Beautiful and brilliant, she has a medical career in Sydney and a fiancé in Sri Lanka.

But on the week of her wedding to childhood-sweetheart Sunil, Annie uncovers the shattering truth behind the façade of his business.

Forced to hide out in the Snowy Mountains, Annie changes her name and her story. When she meets the brusque and arrogant Roy Broughton-Knight, she discovers she’s not the only one hiding secrets. But the more she gets to know Roy, the closer Sunil comes to finding her.

Against the stunning backdrops of Sri Lanka and the Snowy Mountains, Annie and Roy learn to face the betrayals in their pasts and fight their fears. But how will they embrace the possibilities of a future?

Narelle's Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading Snowy Summer, and I loved the cross-cultural aspects of the story. The story opens in the sleepy Snowy Mountains town of Jindabyne, Australia, where Annie meets Roy at a masquerade party.

Annie is attracted to Roy, despite being betrothed in an arranged marriage to Sunil. Sunil is her childhood best friend in Sri Lanka who she hasn't seen for many years. We journey with Annie back to her home country, and experience her angst when her dream of a life married to Sunil in Sri Lanka is shattered.

Annie's world is turned upside down and her life is in danger. She escapes Sri Lanka and returns to Australia to start over as Dr. Sheva, the new doctor at a small Jindabyne medical centre.

Roy is a carefree playboy from Sydney, Australia, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He's now hiding from the world on his family's alpaca farm near Jindabyne, and he has a few secrets of his own. The women in his life have let him down. He's slow to trust and wary of love.

Roy meets Sheva at the medical centre, and she reminds him of Annie. He can't forget Annie and their chance encounter at the masquerade party. He's attracted to Sheva, but he's respectful of her cultural background and her faith that underpins her desire to wait for marriage. Sheva's close friendship with the park ranger, Dan, ignites Roy's jealousy and curiosity about Sheva's past.

Snowy Summer is an action-packed contemporary Christian romantic adventure story with medical themes. It's a more edgy read than the typical Christian romance, and possibly too edgy for more conservative readers.

Annie has trained as a surgeon, and she thinks about the human body in a more clinical way than the average person. Anatomical terminology that's not usually mentioned in Christian romances is included the story.

The author is a retired Sexologist. She portrays the attraction between Sheva and Roy, and their thoughts about each other, in a realistic rather than euphemistic manner. There are situations in the story that definitely push the Christian romance genre boundaries.

I recommend Snowy Summer to romance readers who appreciate cultural diversity and are looking for a contemporary Christian romance that deals with real life issues. The blend of Aussie and Sri Lankan culture, and the stunning settings, was a highlight for me. I enjoyed visiting familiar places in Australia and learning more about Sri Lanka.

In April I attended Patricia's book launch for Snowy Summer at the visitor centre in Jindabyne. It was fun to visit the real life setting and hear more about the evolution of the story. Snowy Summer was the contemporary Christian romance manuscript that won our ACW opening chapter contest a few years ago. It was great to see the story published and read the final version.

Book Recommendation - Then There Was You by Kara Isaac

Book Description:

RITA Award 2018 Winner - Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements

Paige McAllister needs to do something drastic. Her boyfriend can’t even commit to living in the same country, her promised promotion is dead on arrival and the simultaneous loss of her brother and her dream of being a concert violinist has kept her playing life safe and predictable for six years. Things need to change. A moment of temporary insanity finds her leaving her life in Chicago to move to Sydney, Australia. There she finds herself, against many of her convictions, as a logistics planner for one of Australia’s biggest churches, and on a collision course with her boss’s son.

Josh Tyler fronts a top-selling worship band and is in demand all over the world. But, in the past, his failed romantic relationships almost destroyed both his reputation and his family. He's determined to never risk it happening again. The last thing he needs is some American girl tipping his ordered life upside down. Especially one who despises everything he’s ever worked for and manages to push every button he has.

When Josh and Paige are thrown together to organize his band’s next tour, the sparks fly. But can they find a way to bridge the differences that pull them apart? Or will they choose the safety and security of what they know over taking a chance on something that will require them to risk everything?

Narelle's Thoughts:

I finished reading Then There Was You with a smile on my face after shedding a few tears toward the end of the story. We first meet Paige McAllister in Chicago at her nineteen year old sister's wedding. Paige's absent and commitment phobic long term boyfriend shows up late to the wedding and she takes the bold step of breaking up with him. She impulsively declares that she's moving to Australia and staying in Sydney with her cousin, Kat.

Josh Tyler is the lead guitarist and singer in an internationally successful Sydney megachurch worship band. His parents are the founding church pastors and the media delight in giving his family bad publicity by creating fake news. Josh is aloof and wary of strangers, especially women. He's over thirty, living at home with his parents, and single for a reason after making bad relationship decisions in the past.

Paige and Josh first meet when they catch the same flight from Chicago to LA, en-route to Sydney. Josh's first impressions of Paige stay with him and give him an interesting perspective on her character. His belief that his parents always make wise decisions as leaders of their church is challenged when his mother employs Paige as a logistics manager for their upcoming women's conference.

Josh and Paige are forced to work together on the church campus in suburban Sydney. Josh comes across as a bit full of himself and entitled. He lives in a tight knit megachurch bubble where he spends his time recording music and travelling the world with the worship team. He makes some big assumptions about Paige without checking his facts.

Paige is seemingly on a mission to make decisions that will make her life more miserable. For example, she picks the job at the megachurch despite her horrendous past experiences as a volunteer worker at a US megachurch. A few Google searches could also have made Paige's life easier. Paige is carrying a truckload of emotional baggage that's hinted at early on in the story but not fully revealed until later.

Josh and Paige develop a sort-of-friends romance where the emotional barriers stay up for a large chunk of the story. Once I got to know Josh and Paige and understood why they behaved in certain ways, I wanted to see them overcome all the obstacles in their romance to achieve their happily-ever-after. They are both challenged to take risks and grow in their faith during the story.

Then There Was You also has a connection to Kara's previous books. Paige's cousin, Kat, who travels the world as a makeup artist, is Allie's best friend who we first meet in Close To You. I recommend Then There Was You to contemporary romance readers who enjoy the movie 10 Things I Hate About You style of romantic comedies with poignant moments.

Tuesday Book Chat | 31st July 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.  

Let's chat. Have you been to a book launch?

Tuesday Book Chat | 24th July 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.  

Let's chat. Do you read with a favourite beverage by your side?

Tuesday Book Chat | 17th July 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.  

Let's chat. Does your library stock Christian books?

Tuesday Book Chat | 26th June 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.  

Let's chat. Have you met any favourite authors in person?

My first major fan girl moment took place a decade ago. In July 2008 the lovely Debbie Macomber invited all the Australian and New Zealand conference attendees at the Romance Writers of America conference in San Francisco to a special breakfast. My Aussie writing friend Enisa Haines and I were thrilled to meet Debbie. This year Debbie is the keynote speaker at the ACFW Conference in September.

L-R: Enisa Haines, Debbie Macomber, Narelle Atkins

Tuesday Book Chat | 19th June 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.  

Let's chat. Have you requested books for your local library?

Tuesday Book Chat | 29th May 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.  

Do you read books as soon as you receive them?

This is a question I'm pondering today because my new novella, Solo Tu, is releasing today on Amazon Kindle. 

Let's Chat. Do you eagerly await the arrival of new books - via an electronic deposit in your reading device or a parcel in the mail or an in-store print book purchase? 

To Pre-order or Not To Pre-order? | Narelle Atkins

By Narelle Atkins @NarelleAtkins

There are no hard and fast rules, from a publisher/author perspective, on how and when to set up print book and ebook pre-orders.

Traditional Publishing and Pre-orders

Traditional publishers tend to set up long pre-orders, often many months prior to the book release date.

Book stores will order stock in advance of the book release. Retailers want the boxes of books to arrive at their stores prior to the book release date.

Distribution channels are set up by the publisher to encourage early orders from retailers and customers.

Independent (indie) Publishing and Pre-orders

Authors who publish independently have the flexibility to choose where they offer their books for sale, and whether or not they want to set up a pre-order for their book release.

For example, I set up the Kindle pre-order for my May 29 indie release (Solo Tu) at the start of April. Solo Tu is Book 7 in ‘A Tuscan Legacy’ contemporary Christian romance series.

Our Tuscan Legacy author group decided to release the books weekly, and we wanted all the ebooks to be available on pre-order for 99 cents (US) prior to Book 1 releasing on April 17. This gave our readers the option to pre-order all 9 books in the series at the heavily discounted price. The normal price is 2.99 (US).

Our marketing strategy, combined with the pre-order pricing strategy, has so far seen the new release ebooks rank in the Kindle Top 10 in the Contemporary Christian Romance category. This may not have happened if we hadn’t set up all the pre-orders weeks in advance.

Pre-orders and bestselling books

The pre-orders are added into the sales figures when the book releases.

For ebooks, this improves the initial sales ranking for the book.

For print books sold online and in stores, the availability of the book via retailers on the release date is important. If a shipment of print books doesn’t arrive at the stores in time, the book isn’t on the shelf for customers to buy on the release day. This could negatively impact the overall sales performance of the book.

Timing of Pre-Orders

I personally prefer my indie ebooks to release near the end of the month. The major ebook distributors pay monthly, and I get paid earlier if my release date is toward the end of the month.

Traditional publishers often release books early in the month, and Tuesday is a popular day for new book releases.

Price of Pre-orders

I’m going to use Amazon Kindle as an example of how pre-order pricing works.

Amazon guarantees their customers will be billed the lowest pre-order price for the Kindle ebook on the actual release day when the ebook is delivered to the customer’s account.

As a result, it’s illogical to increase the price of an ebook during the pre-order period. Decreasing the price during the pre-order period will result in all pre-orders dropping to the lower price.

Pre-release Book Marketing

A longer pre-order period provides publishers and authors with more time to market the book prior to the release date.

Endorsements can be collected to add into the final version of the book.

Authors can share the ebook with their street teams and bloggers and reviewers to create buzz and about the book before it releases.

NetGalley provides reviewers with an opportunity read books for review prior to the release date.

Advanced reader reviews can be posted on Goodreads.

Pre-order Deadlines: What happens if the pre-order deadline is missed?

There are negative consequences for publishers (including indie authors) who miss their pre-order deadline which results in the cancellation of the book release.

These consequences are outlined in the contractual arrangements with each book seller and distributor.

Book publishing is a business and it’s unprofessional to not deliver the product you’ve promised to your customers.

It’s disappointing for readers to receive the email advising that the book they’ve pre-order has been cancelled.

Indie authors have the freedom to choose how and when they publish. This freedom comes with responsibilities and obligations.

All publishers need to be realistic regarding the publishing deadlines they set.

They may choose to publish immediately once the final version of the book file is ready and not set up a pre-order.

They may choose to set up a pre-order once they reach a certain stage of the book production process and are confident they can meet the pre-order deadline.

What do you think of pre-orders?

As a customer, I love pre-orders. I subscribe to author newsletters primarily to keep track of their book releases. I pre-order early, knowing I’ll likely forget to buy the book later.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences with pre-orders from a publisher or author or customer perspective.

A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, NARELLE ATKINS was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Tuesday Book Chat | 22nd May 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.  

Let's chat. Have you written book reviews?

Tuesday Book Chat | 15th May 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.  

Let's chat. Do you enter book giveaways?

May 2018 New Releases

Jenny Blake | @ausjenny

Solo Tu: Only You (A Tuscan Legacy Book 7) by Narelle Atkins (Independent, May 29 2018)

Home means everything to Sienna Rossi.

Four years ago, Sienna defied her father by moving to Australia to obtain her teaching qualifications. Her grand plan is shaken by her father's unexpected death and a trip back to Tuscany for her grandmother's eightieth birthday where she renews her close bond with her sister, Alessa.

Teacher Dave Maxwell likes the freedom of his nomadic lifestyle. He works contract-to-contract, moving to different high schools around Australia. He's in Sydney for a season, caring for his grandma while his aunt is on an extended overseas vacation.

Back in Sydney, Sienna moves in with her Aussie cousins and starts her first teaching job, torn between her dream for a future in Australia and her longing for home. Sienna and Dave work at the same school, attend the same church, and quickly become friends. They are drawn together by circumstances and an undeniable attraction.

But their idyllic time together is temporary. Can the girl from Tuscany and the boy from Australia risk everything for love?

This nine-book Christian romance series from seven of your favorite authors releases weekly from April 2018. Look out for Book 8 in the series, Dolce Vita!

Solo Tu is available for pre-order for 99 cents (US): Amazon link

Faithful by Carol Ashby (Cerrillo Press, May 28 2018) 

Is the price of true friendship ever too high?

In AD 122, Adela, the fiery daughter of a Germanic chieftain, is kidnapped and taken across the Roman frontier to be sold as a slave. When horse-trader Otto wins her while gambling with her kidnappers, he entrusts her to his friend and trading partner, Galen. Then Otto is kidnapped by the same men, and Galen must track them half way across the Empire before his best friend loses a fight to the death in a Roman arena.

Adela joins Galen in the chase, hungry for vengeance. As the perilous journey deepens their friendship, will the kind, faithful man open her eyes to a life she never dreamed she’d want?

A trip to the heart of the Empire poses mortal danger to a man who follows Jesus, especially when Galen must seek the help of an enemy of the faith for Otto to survive. Tiberius hunted Christians when he governed Germania Superior and banished his own son when he became one.

When Tiberius learns sparing Galen offers a chance at reconciliation with his son, he joins the trio on their journey home. Can his life-long hatred for the followers of Jesus survive a trip with the Christian man whose courage and faithfulness demand his respect?
Website

Deadly Misconduct by R J Amos (independent release, May 1 2018) 

Research to die for?

Alicia is determined to return to academia after time off to care for her sick mother.  An unlikely conference in sleepy Hobart town throws her into the path of Professor Conneally, who offers her a dream job in Cambridge.

It seems the universe is on her side – until the professor drops dead at the conference dinner. Alicia's convinced it's no accident, but no one will believe her. Can she find the culprit before the conference is over? Or will she lose all her friends, and the opportunity of a lifetime?

Pull on your slippers, get cosy in your favourite chair, and spend an hour or two solving the mystery in beautiful Tasmania.

Amazon link

My Year of Saying No by Ruth Amos (independent release/ May 7 2018) 

Are you feeling overwhelmed? 

Struggling with a life that is full and overflowing? 

Harassed with overlapping appointments and unachievable schedules? 

Do you wish you could simplify your life?

Ruth Amos shares her journey through a year where she learned about saying no, saying yes, and bringing some balance and joy back into her overfull existence. She hopes that you will also find peace through lessons she has learned, such as:

    • How to create a time budget and know what to put in and what to leave out.

    • When it is right to say no to a worthwhile activity, and when it is better to say yes to something

uncomfortable.

    • How to tell if you’re just being lazy, when to push yourself, and when it is better to rest.

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Tuesday Book Chat | 24th April 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.  

Let's chat. Where is your favourite place to read?

Tuesday Book Chat | 17th April 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.  

Let's chat. Do you borrow books from the library?

Introducing A Tuscan Legacy and Solo Tu plus #Giveaway | Narelle Atkins

By Narelle Atkins  @Narelle Atkins

I'm thrilled to introduce my tenth book - Solo Tu: Only You - Book 7 in A Tuscan Legacy - a contemporary Christian romance novella series spanning three continents.

I've always wanted to write a book for a continuity series that has shared characters and a connected story world.

A Tuscan Legacy is the brainchild of my author friends Marion Ueckermann and Autumn Macarthur. I was delighted to accept their offer when they asked me to join them in their journey to write an indie novella series based in Tuscany.

The series has an overarching family mystery plot that links all the books together. I've loved working with my authors friends in the group who live in England, South Africa and USA.

Here's the video trailer introducing A Tuscan Legacy:

We're excited that Book 1 - That's Amore by Marion Ueckermann - is releasing next week on Tuesday April 17!

Let me share Solo Tu with you and introduce you to my characters - Sienna Rossi and Dave Maxwell.

If you read A Tuscan Legacy series from start to finish, you'll meet Sienna in That's Amore (Book 1) and Ti Amo (Book 4) before journeying to Sydney, Australia for Book 7.

Home means everything to Sienna Rossi.

Four years ago, Sienna defied her father by moving to Australia to obtain her teaching qualifications. Her grand plan is shaken by her father’s unexpected death and a trip back to Tuscany for her grandmother’s eightieth birthday where she renews her close bond with her sister, Alessa.

Teacher Dave Maxwell likes the freedom of his nomadic lifestyle. He works contract-to-contract, moving to different high schools around Australia. He’s in Sydney for a season, caring for his grandma while his aunt is on an extended overseas vacation.

Back in Sydney, Sienna moves in with her Aussie cousins and starts her first teaching job, torn between her dream for a future in Australia and her longing for home. Sienna and Dave work at the same school, attend the same church, and quickly become friends. They are drawn together by circumstances and an undeniable attraction.

But their idyllic time together is temporary. Can the girl from Tuscany and the boy from Australia risk everything for love?

$15 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway 

I'm giving away a $15 Amazon Gift Card to a reader who leaves a comment on this post.

You could choose to purchase the complete nine book series at the special pre-order price of 99 cents (USD) per ebook and have change left over from $15 to buy more ebooks!

I'll draw the winner on Sunday, April 15 (Aussie timezone) and announce the winner in a comment on this post. To claim your winning prize, please check the comments on this post on Monday, April  16. If you're the lucky winner, please leave your email address in a comment or contact me via social media. I will do one redraw on Friday, April 20 (Aussie timezone) if I'm unable to make contact with the original winner by April 20.

A Tuscan Legacy series - Amazon Kindle and coming in print

A Tuscan Legacy novellas are now available for pre-order on Amazon Kindle and will be available in Kindle Unlimited. The books will be releasing in ebook format first, and will later be available in print. Please check out A Tuscan Legacy series page on Amazon.com for more information.

Aussie readers can purchase the books on Amazon Australia and read the series on Kindle Unlimited via Amazon Australia. The Amazon Australia link for Solo Tu - amzn.to/2qpD40k

Here's the complete A Tuscan Legacy series list and the Amazon Kindle release dates. The ebooks are available now at the special pre-order price of 99 cents (USD).

THAT'S AMORE Book 1 by Marion Ueckermann - releasing APRIL 17
LUNA ROSA Book 2 by Elizabeth Maddrey - releasing APRIL 24
RAPSODIA Book 3 by Alexa Verde - releasing MAY 1
TI AMO Book 4 by Marion Ueckermann - releasing MAY 8
LA FIAMMA SACRA Book 5 by Clare Revell - releasing MAY 15
BELLA NOTTE Book 6 by Heather Gray - releasing MAY 22
SOLO TU Book 7 by Narelle Atkins - releasing MAY 29
DOLCE VITA Book 8 by Autumn Macarthur - releasing JUNE 5
LA RISPOSTA Book 9 by Autumn Macarthur - releasing JUNE 12

A Tuscan Legacy Reader Group on Facebook

A Tuscan Legacy has a Reader Group on Facebook. If you'd like to follow the series and keep up-to-date on the latest news, please join our Reader Group.

A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, NARELLE ATKINS was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia.

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Tuesday Book Chat | 27th March 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.  

Let's chat. Which Easter-themed book has inspired you?