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.

Website 

Doing vs Being

By Ruth Amos

One of the things I struggle with on an almost daily basis when it comes to writing is that there is no guarantee of the outcome. I’m not talking financial outcome here although there’s no guarantee of that either. But I’m talking about the outcome when it comes to working for God.

I was raised in a missionary family (in Australia) and we were always encouraged to share the gospel with others. I have been a part of children’s camps, door knocking, street drama, one-on-one conversations with strangers in the street, prayer walks, church child and youth ministry, worship leading, you name it, I’ve probably done it.

I’ve been trained to jump out of my comfort zone and stretch myself and share the Good News with anyone and everyone. I have almost felt that if I don’t feel uncomfortable, then maybe I’m not doing enough for God. Maybe I’m not doing God’s will.

Now, I’m an introvert. Living in mission communities, going on camps, talking to complete and utter strangers - these things are not me! I can do them, I’m socially able and I’ve been both formally and informally trained to do this kind of thing since infancy. But these activities, well, they don’t belong in my happy place.

What is my happy place? It’s sitting in my study, reaching into my imagination, putting words on a page. I love writing.

I hear many authors say that they love ‘having written’ rather than the writing itself, but I tell you - compared to a youth camp, writing is wonderful. And having written is even better!

But the question I struggle with is ‘am I doing enough?’

It takes a long time to write a novel, especially when working full time and helping out at church and raising a family. And I wonder whether it is ok to go on turning down ‘ministry opportunities’ just so that I can sit in my happy place and write. You have to say no to some things to say yes to writing, but does God want me to say no to these obvious kingdom building activities so that I can say yes to being comfortable by myself at home?

And look, if I knew that my little novel could be as successful in reaching people for Jesus as, say, the Narnia series, then of course the sacrifice would be worth it. But I don’t know what its impact will be at all. My novel that I’m spending years working on might not even be published. It might be ripe for the rubbish bin. I’ve heard that first novels often are.

How is that God’s plan?

Where are the results?

How am I kingdom building while sitting in my study working on my craft?

But here’s the thing: God doesn’t want me for what I can do for him. God just wants me. All of me. He wants a relationship with me.

I’ve been encouraged by several podcast and interviews of do-ers to whom God has said ‘I just want you to stop and worship.’ People like Phil Vischer of Veggie Tales, and Bill Myers - McGee and me. Both of these men were working full-on for God when God stopped them in their tracks and told them that they needed to stop doing, and start being more fully in relationship with Him.

God loves me. Full stop. Not because of what I do, not for how many people I bring into the kingdom. I mean, let’s be honest - He does all the bringing anyway.

Sometimes God asks us to jump out of our comfort zones and stretches us, and sometimes he uses the gifts and personalities he’s given us and asks us to do what is beautifully comfortable.

And what we need to do? We need to be willing. Ready. We need to LOVE the Lord our God.

And we can do that in our studies, our supermarkets, on the street, in camps, in our families, everywhere.

Let’s work on being like Jesus, lets spend time loving Jesus, and leave the results up to him.

http://www.writefromthedeep.com/?powerpress_pinw=683-podcast

http://sheridanvoysey.com/encore-episode-veggietales-creator-phil-vischer-on-dreams-loss-and-god/

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life" 

Ruth's ambition is to lead a quiet life. Some days she is more successful than others. She works three jobs, looks after her family and helps out at church, not to mention the coffee she drinks with friends. She wants to share her quiet life moments here.