Taking stock - Jo-Anne Berthelsen

At the end of every three months, it is my job to complete an interesting book task. I write down the names of all my published books, go to the spot where those cartons are stored and begin my quarterly stocktake.  Recently, this job has become easier, since I now have no remaining stocks of my first four novels, Heléna, All the Days of My Life, Laura and Jenna. I could get more from my then publisher, but have decided not to, in order to focus on my more recent novels, Heléna’s Legacy and The Inheritance, and my two non-fiction books, Soul Friend and Becoming Me.

Yet, even with fewer books, this can still be a rather daunting task—if I allow it to be. If I approach this job in a negative way, I can become rather discouraged. I might grumble at having to haul boxes around and check their contents. I might stare at these boxes and wonder if I will ever sell all those books. I might note that numbers of a certain title on hand have not decreased much in the past three months. I might worry about whether to buy more of this or that title at that point or simply wait and see what happens.

Alternately, I can remember God is with me, even as I perform this mundane book task. I can choose to listen to the Spirit’s encouraging words rather than any discouraging thoughts from the enemy, as I record those numbers. I can acknowledge how wonderful it is that I actually have all those published books on hand, ready to be sold via my website or wherever I am asked to speak. I can choose to realise how amazing it is that I have sold as many books as I have over the years, since first being published in 2007. I can choose to be thankful for those lives that have been touched by God through words I have written, both in my novels and in my non-fiction books. I can choose to recall that very first email I received via my website from a reader in some far-away part of Australia, telling me that, although she had not found God to be there for her in the hard times in her life, maybe she would ‘try God again’, as a result of reading my first novel, Heléna. And I can choose to be so thankful for those ones who, even this past week on Facebook, have commented how my latest book, Becoming Me, has moved and challenged them.

Recently, I enjoyed reading The Story of With, an interesting and unique book by former publisher, Allen Arnold. All over again, it challenged and encouraged me to approach my whole writing and speaking journey with God, not attempting things in my own strength, but rather allowing those God-given gifts and that God-given imagination of mine to flow freely, as I walk hand in hand with God. What a privilege and a blessing to be able to do this! What resources we have in God to persevere in our writing journeys and in life in general in 2017!

Are these your thoughts too? May each of us not only take stock of these greatest resources of all but draw on them constantly in the year ahead.

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and two non-fiction works, ‘Soul Friend’ and ‘Becoming Me’. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and four grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.

An in-store experience - Jo-Anne Berthelsen

I enter the bookstore and find a table already placed in a strategic position for me. On it are copies of my memoir Soul Friend and my sixth novel The Inheritance, along with one of several posters around the store advertising my visit. I notice the comfortable chair behind the table and am thankful—this is my fifteenth in-store book signing and I know they can be tiring.

I get out a bundle of bookmarks supplied by my publisher and try to set them out in an attractive way, along with my own business cards and a copy of each of my five earlier novels. There are none of these in stock now, but I like to have them there to show anyone interested.

The young manager comes to ensure I have everything I need and offers me some coffee, but I am too eager to move around meeting people and hand out bookmarks. At first, it is slow going—there seem fewer customers than usual. Every half hour, a staff member announces my presence over the PA system and I am grateful. But I also laugh when I hear him call my latest novel a ‘Koorong classic’!

Eventually, a lady I spoke to earlier approaches me.

‘Would you please sign both your books? We’re going away on a long trip and I’m trying to find some good books to take with me.’

Feeling relieved, I tell her she is my first customer. But I also remind myself it’s not only about promoting my books. I have prayed for some ‘God conversations’ in that bookstore and am looking forward to seeing what shape these take.

I soon find out. I meet an African pastor and chat about his home country. I give him my card and he gives me his, telling me he would love me to speak to the women at his church. Not long after, a lady comes by with her teenage daughter. As I explain how I began writing in my fifties and how I believe God can weave all our life experiences together to accomplish the next thing we are called to do, her eyes fill with tears.

‘That’s just what I needed to hear today,’ she whispers.

She buys both my books and asks me to write her daughter’s name, Lily, in one. I pray for Lily as I do –both seem so open and vulnerable.

The hours pass. I meet a teacher who remembers hearing me speak at his school and encourage him. I relate to someone from our own church who seems so lost and sad, giving her a hug in the middle of the store. I talk up a friend’s book I see someone thinking of buying (Integrate by Adele Jones). I manage to sell a few more of my own. As my day draws to an end, I am grateful for those sales, but even more grateful for those God moments along the way. I have done my best to be sensitive in all my conversations and actions—the results are in God’s hands.

Yes, I know in-store book signings can be discouraging at times, but I still believe they are well worth the effort. What about you? How do you feel about such events, either as an author or a customer?

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and one non-fiction work, Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and four grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.

Where to from here? - Jo-Anne Berthelsen

I wonder how you feel as you look back over this past year. Have you managed to achieve those goals you might have set for yourself at the beginning of 2014? And how do you feel as you look towards 2015? For those of you out there who are writers, are there more book ideas and plots already beginning to take shape in your imagination?

This past year was a strange writing year for me. It was the first year since 2007 that I did not have another new book released. I began my journey of being published with my second book almost complete before the first was released, so, over these past seven years, I have had the luxury of always having something else ready ahead of time for my publisher to consider. This year, however, things caught up with me at last.

On top of that, I began the year in hospital, having a back operation, and also injured my ankle a few months later. Yet, by God’s grace, I still managed to fulfil around twenty-seven speaking engagements and book promotion events. We acquired a beautiful new granddaughter as well and now spend many hours minding said granddaughter, plus our three other beautiful grandchildren. In the midst of all this, I nevertheless managed to complete my second memoir and plan to submit it to my publisher after Christmas.

Next year, I hope to start writing another novel. I have three or four different ideas outlined on my computer—which one should I choose? Should it be the one inspired by memories of my artist grandmother and set in Queensland, my home state? Should I explore what happened to Grace, the child of the two main characters in my last novel, The Inheritance? Should I pursue the idea of writing a novel about a Turkish girl, set both here in Australia and in Turkey, a country I have visited several times and where I have had many adventures with a friend who lives there? Or should I go with a novel already begun, entitled Maddie, a story inspired purely by a photo that captured my imagination during a wonderful creative writing course I undertook several years ago?

As I think about each of these ideas, I feel excited about the possibilities. But, since this will be my ninth book, I well know the challenges I am likely to encounter. Am I ready to commit so much time and effort to another novel? More to the point, is it where God wants me to put my energies in the coming year? If it is not, then I am wasting my time. So, over the Christmas break, I plan to put time aside to pray and reflect and, as best I can, make sure this is the direction my writing should take. Then I can move forward with confidence, knowing that, even if I strike difficulties with this particular project, God is right there with me in the midst of it all.

As you look back over 2014, I hope you can see how God has strengthened and sustained you, however challenging your year might have been. And as you look towards 2015, may you know God’s clear guidance and enabling  in whatever projects you undertake, whether writing or otherwise.

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and one non-fiction work, Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and four grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.

Anyone for the quiet writing life?

I have said the following so often that it has become a joke in our family. Whenever I see a home—even a cottage—in a beautiful, quiet setting, I announce, ‘I could write my Great Australian Novel there!’ Yes, six novels and one memoir down the track, I am still saying it.

Right now, however, as I approach the end of 2013, that quiet, writing life in some secluded setting seems particularly attractive. You see, this past year has been my busiest yet in this crazy writing and speaking journey I began in 2007, when my first novel Heléna was published. Besides launching my latest novel, The Inheritance, in September, I have presented thirty-four talks at a wide variety of venues. I have been interviewed four times, on radio and face to face. And I have also been involved in fourteen book selling events at bookstores, conferences and elsewhere. All up, quite a year!

Is it any wonder I am looking forward to this Christmas/New Year period when I might be able to get back to my non-fiction work in progress? Is it any wonder I look with longing at those three outlines of novels currently languishing on my computer? Recently, an idea for yet another novel has taken hold somewhere deep inside. Will that perhaps be the one I end up writing first?

Yet why should I complain about what has unfolded for me in 2013? After all, I know that, if one writes books these days, then one must also get out there and promote. Besides, I love speaking. Somewhere way back, I was a high school teacher, which prepared me well for speaking to groups both large and small. I am not fazed by seeing umpteen faces turned towards me, sometimes showing interest, sometimes otherwise! As well, my theological college training in my forties and my experience, both before and after, of giving input in a church context has stood me in good stead for my more recent speaking engagements. In particular, I love the challenge of speaking to community groups. God is always there, I have discovered, engineering those important connections with people. As for author visits to bookstores, I enjoy them too, despite their tiring nature. I have met so many interesting people and experienced many special ‘God moments’ in such settings.

So I am looking forward to this holiday season—but also to what God has in store for me in 2014. Yes, already I know I have a handful of speaking engagements early in the year. Also, we’ll be welcoming another grandchild in March. But somewhere in the midst of all that, I believe God will graciously allow me to get back to writing as well. I believe God has more things for me to write—and that to me is a great privilege.

I wonder if 2013 has held some particular struggles as well as successes for you in your own writing and speaking journey. How have you fared in it all? Whatever this year has held for you, may God bless and refresh you this Christmas season and on into 2014. I encourage you to look to God to unfold your year in the shape that is just right for you. As I found these past months, God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (Eph 3:20), if we keep our eyes on him.
Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and one non-fiction work, Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and three grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com or www.soulfriend.com.au.

Those interesting writing questions

To mark the release of my latest novel, The Inheritance, a few weeks ago, our senior pastor was gracious enough to interview me in our morning service, after which I offered my new book for sale—kind of like a ‘mini-launch’ just for the folk at our church. In the interview, I even managed to sneak in a little plea for people to look for books by Aussie (and NZ!) Christian authors at their local Christian bookstore!

I enjoyed chatting to people as I sold my books, but just as I was packing up, a rather intimidating lady approached me.

‘When you have a moment, I’d like to ask you something.’

I hurried to finish what I was doing, wondering what her question would be. Had she objected to something I had said in my interview? Did she not like the idea of Christians writing novels? I was ready for just about anything.

Eventually, she drew me to one side.

‘I’d like to ask you—how do you write a book?’

Just a simple little question! I tried not to look too shocked and hoped my mouth wasn’t hanging open. I have been asked this question before, especially during bookstore appearances, but this time I couldn’t think how to respond. You see, this lady seemed well educated and very articulate. Was she really expecting me to give her a comprehensive response then and there?

In the end, I decided to ask a question of my own—several, in fact. Was she interested in writing a book herself? If so, what sort? Would it be for her family or for a wider audience? Had she begun to write already? Did she enjoy writing?

As we talked, I discovered she wanted to write her own life story. I offered to give her some notes I have available on topics such as getting started in writing and getting published. I recommended a couple of books on the subject. I suggested she write letters, journal entries, brief articles—anything to stretch her creative writing abilities. I told her about a Christian writers’ group nearby, but she did not seem interested. On top of that, she does not use a computer and was not keen to learn.

Then came another abrupt question.

‘Well, I actually wondered if you’d write it for me.’

Hmm. Was this her real question all along? Was she hoping I would jump at the opportunity? Perhaps you have received similar requests and, like me, have had to turn them down. I have too many books of my own waiting to be written at present—and, apart from that, I am in the middle of a very busy period of promoting my new novel. I could see this lady did not appreciate all this, however, and I felt mean disappointing her.

How would you have responded to this lady’s first question? Had I been less busy, I could perhaps have offered to meet with her and talk more about it. After all, many authors have answered my inept questions about writing over the years. Is there a better or more gracious way to help such people? What do you think?

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and one non-fiction work, Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and three grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com or www.soulfriend.com.au.