tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92038460636795234762024-02-21T02:21:43.928+11:00Mary Hawkins' blogMary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.comBlogger198125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-46563610029114070182018-07-30T10:36:00.003+10:002018-11-08T16:33:55.957+11:00Latest News<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello! </h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you for dropping by my home and heart on the web. I have been updating my blog and website and hope you like what we have done with the page. You can leave feedback on the contact page.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My first novel was published back in 1993. Some wonderful things happened in my life before then, but even more exciting moments have come my way since holding that first book with my name on the cover in my trembling hands and with tears of joy trickling down my face.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It has been a long journey since I first started my writing. There have been days when it was sheer hard work and learning the craft of writing novels, days of delight and days of tears. These have all balanced out when my characters' come alive in my heart and mind so the words simply fly onto the pages. I do enjoy sharing what I have learnt (sometimes the hard way) about writing with other writers and readers during speaking appointments and writing workshops.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps I'll meet you someday at a book-signing or speaking appointment?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mary</span>Ausjennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-12665282033534216562016-03-31T22:03:00.000+11:002016-03-31T22:03:16.328+11:00Another Blog update at last.<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><b> Sincere apologies for not updating here for so long.</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">So, programmes like Blogspot and Google change. My problem of
being able to create updates has been very frustrating - and too
time-consuming. Once again, despite hours trying to work out email addresses
and passwords to create this "New Post" had to get help from a fellow
writer,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Paula Roe. Paula created
my website and once again has been wonderful. She spent a lot of her own
precious time this morning helping me so that here I am again at long last.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">THANK YOU, <a href="http://www.paularoe.com/">PAULA ROE</a> Do
check out her website by clicking on her name. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The days have been so busy, it is hard to
believe it is now almost 12 months since publishing my last post. Last year was
a great year filled with visits from family and friends - some not seen for far
too long. Afraid it did become so busy with other commitments, it left little
time to even think about posting here on my blog - especially when it took so
long just finding the "New Post" so could publish one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTugsVq-Fcdro7s1QqwFnYK1sxzR7rFRupzaTv_hHAY8n6RJY0TOuESDgrspVnQKlMUEU9uEJWHz-WUXZ5Szn1mo43utev5lvV525u_Q8SBtkvI5BBnvqM7HcUVQBTRY7MmtgHFklZCg/s1600/TheWarriorLordsSword+coverLarge.gif+I+mb.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTugsVq-Fcdro7s1QqwFnYK1sxzR7rFRupzaTv_hHAY8n6RJY0TOuESDgrspVnQKlMUEU9uEJWHz-WUXZ5Szn1mo43utev5lvV525u_Q8SBtkvI5BBnvqM7HcUVQBTRY7MmtgHFklZCg/s200/TheWarriorLordsSword+coverLarge.gif+I+mb.gif" width="138" /></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Earlier in 2015 there were a lot of trips
from our beautiful Beauty Point to Launceston health specialists for Ray and
dental appointments for myself. We are thankful all is under control now.
Although slowing down of course, taking longer to do things and sometimes the
memory not as sharp, my husband and I are very grateful to have the health we
do at this time of our lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The busy year did interfere with our writing schedules. At last Ray's new book, the seventh in his themed 31 Day Devotional series has just been published and will soon be on the bookshelves. </span><span style="font-size: 18px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">My
two manuscripts,</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Her Outback
Cowboy</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> and</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Delayed
Dreams</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> (A follow-on from my 1994</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Damaged
Dreams</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> with Barbour Publishing) are still needing final revisions. It has
been exciting to see</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Damaged
Dreams</i><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">and all my back list
from Barbour now out again as e-books. The plan is still to have eight more of
my back list also available as e-books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">When possible, I still enjoy sharing with
other writers online, but especially face to face at Conferences and writer
events. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08JAt1rNLP_aUoqLmR21i3C7o1uBfSyedyWhJC8VE3McXtbWZgm48TlUBIIeSc6uh6h7AmNEfRwroFNv_cOuy3YHQcfmWtNiOvNhLzTyBa-3a8Mqts3QazMJRNwYAHlsDYy_izL1q4po/s1600/SWWT+with+Mel+March+2013+Web+large.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08JAt1rNLP_aUoqLmR21i3C7o1uBfSyedyWhJC8VE3McXtbWZgm48TlUBIIeSc6uh6h7AmNEfRwroFNv_cOuy3YHQcfmWtNiOvNhLzTyBa-3a8Mqts3QazMJRNwYAHlsDYy_izL1q4po/s400/SWWT+with+Mel+March+2013+Web+large.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At a special monthly SWWT meeting a few years ago.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> I am still very involved with activities of the Society Women Writers
Tasmania. This year we are hosting the national society's Alice Award Event in
August. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">AND NOW, 2016?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJMdVdj7EsyBb2yS63LfQyyNCPKWE7tEgccdbW6ZRaihhdRR3bsJfibpua2cg8b9CT59wMlYpr1AL_jvJikJ5jxAUUsS7_mYOXLEA68CpSuH1R6O1aXT-lfTt-vXTxB2chjMePPDVvZI/s1600/Poatina+Creative+Writers+elective+takes+some+time+out+web+large.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJMdVdj7EsyBb2yS63LfQyyNCPKWE7tEgccdbW6ZRaihhdRR3bsJfibpua2cg8b9CT59wMlYpr1AL_jvJikJ5jxAUUsS7_mYOXLEA68CpSuH1R6O1aXT-lfTt-vXTxB2chjMePPDVvZI/s200/Poatina+Creative+Writers+elective+takes+some+time+out+web+large.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Poatina Faith and the Arts with writers</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It commenced in January with me at the
Poatina Faith and Arts week. It was a privilege to again host the Creative
Writing elective. It was the fore-runner of what is already looking like
another very busy year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Ray and I at long last are going on our Indian Pacific Train trip
to Perth. We have a book-signing there at Mt Lawley Koorong bookshop on April
30</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> and other speaking and meeting appointments are being scheduled
in April and May. In June we are taking our car to the mainland for our next trip. Besides seeing
friends and family, we have accepted an invitation to the three day Christian
High Schools Writing Retreat at Tahlee in NSW. We are looking forward to this
but know it will be a challenge to share with keen young writers some of the
things learnt over the years about writing,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It has thrilled me to see books now
published by authors I have shared with over the years at conferences, workshops
and mentoring programmes. Perhaps more of that in future blog posts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-40941973659401029912015-04-04T22:20:00.000+11:002015-04-04T22:20:16.223+11:00Dreaming about my next book.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3i1Uf8oNPPB8VUtiZBFymM0J5WSEwDI8PLVBdTIxnrAnzCnzi081wVevfQsFZFsHiZoOIbxRRpLTXiwrmUFPjK-5FquySyW0F9x-0niTRv9pfHlP6mBWKxbH_JlDkVfn8xx48-nRlZjk/s1600/Book+Two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3i1Uf8oNPPB8VUtiZBFymM0J5WSEwDI8PLVBdTIxnrAnzCnzi081wVevfQsFZFsHiZoOIbxRRpLTXiwrmUFPjK-5FquySyW0F9x-0niTRv9pfHlP6mBWKxbH_JlDkVfn8xx48-nRlZjk/s1600/Book+Two.jpg" height="200" width="125" /></a></div>
This book was my second Heartsong Presents inspirational romance novel published by Barbour Publishing in America. As well as my Search and Great Southland series, I am so thrilled they released it again last year as an e-book. This is the cover of the e-book available on Amazon and other sites like Barnes and Noble, Australia's Koorong and Word Australia bookshops.<br />
After writing my other Heartsongs and a requested novella for Barbour's <em>Christmas Dreams</em> volume, I decided to write a spin-off for <em>Damaged Dreams</em>. By that time my husband, Ray, was ministering at a church in Northampton, north of London. That is where we were living when I wrote the first draft of the manuscript, <em>Delayed Dreams</em>. Naturally this new book had to be set mainly in beautiful England. Unfortunately, by that time, it was decided by my editor there had been too long a period since the first book had been published.<br />
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Now that this book is again available as an e-book, I have been working again on revising the original <em>Delayed Dreams</em> manuscript. It has been a very busy time here the last few months, and I am delighted that at long last I have submitted it to a publisher today. Of course, the hero and heroine were young minor characters who were very good friends in <em>Damaged Dreams</em>. <br />
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Would love to have comments from anyone who has already read <em>Damaged Dreams</em>. If you haven't read the paperback, do download that e-book version!<br />
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Can you tell me the names of the hero and heroine in <em>Damaged Dreams</em>?<br />
Who do you think are the characters from that first book who now have their own romance story told?<br />
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And I hope you are all celebrating a very wonderful Easter season, as we remember the greatest Book ever written of the story of God's love for us in His Son, Jesus Christ<br />
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Check out my updated website: <a href="http://www.mary-hawkins.com/">http://www.mary-hawkins.com</a><br />
Don't forget my Facebook site.Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-27350777373957272932015-02-10T10:50:00.000+11:002015-02-10T12:00:08.125+11:00Reliving MemoriesLife always throws ups and downs at us. Ray and I have been having quite a few of them these last couple of years. Although we have both had some relatively minor health issues, we are still active but do realise we seem to be doing less and getting weary faster. Sound familiar anyone?<br />
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We had a wonderful few weeks again over Christmas and New Year with our family and friends.<br />
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This year we added our celebrations of reaching the mile-stone of being married for fifty marvellous, happy years..<br />
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We can only give thanks to our wonderful Lord for all His has done for us over all these years.<br />
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Seeing the DVD of our old wedding photos and singing a couple of the songs we chose for our wedding day brought back beautiful memories.<br />
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Fifty years is a long time and there had to be that touch of loss also as we saw images of some dear family and friends who are no longer with us. There are some of these folk in this photo I just have to share here of course.<br />
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We accept sorrow because God does comfort and bring back joy. Although our faces now may show the ups and downs of the years, this shows only a little of the great joy we have been given over all these years in our marriage.<br />
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Here is another photo to show our family now. God is still bringing us great happiness through our children as we watch their faithful walks with him. In the years to come may it also be true for each of our precious grandchildren.<br />
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<br />Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-49884051594729183222013-12-26T19:05:00.001+11:002013-12-26T19:12:48.360+11:00PART TWO - MY JOURNEY LAST OCTOBER <span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia;">Do hope you have read Part One before
this where I shared a little of our time in <st1:city w:st="on">Melbourne</st1:city>,
with friends at <st1:city w:st="on">Orange</st1:city> and Tamworth in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New South Wales</st1:place></st1:state>. The
main focus of our time on the Australian mainland was the Omega Writers’ CALEB conference
in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Brisbane</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Queensland</st1:state></st1:place>. </span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbajWyLht-0H5-9_1TdRNAgy3O8vaKKGpz3YLUCVxl0CW8u2pVnnwN41hlOXGH5HLM7Y7gVbLLOady6kAU5-keLJJn3PCBI7TFV9nnO22yKILmrogUPiLe15rvP6f6h-QObX2DHfd8Vk/s1600/mum54+001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbajWyLht-0H5-9_1TdRNAgy3O8vaKKGpz3YLUCVxl0CW8u2pVnnwN41hlOXGH5HLM7Y7gVbLLOady6kAU5-keLJJn3PCBI7TFV9nnO22yKILmrogUPiLe15rvP6f6h-QObX2DHfd8Vk/s200/mum54+001a.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our home until I was nine on <br />
the black soil plains of the Darling Downs. </td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia;">However, our next appointments after
Tamworth were near and in Dalby on the Darling Downs, over 200 kilometres west
of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Brisbane</st1:place></st1:city>.
This was the black soil pains area where I grew up and still have extended
family on several large farms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On our
old farm on the eastern <st1:place w:st="on">Downs</st1:place> near Bongeen
(the setting of my Search book series now e-books), Dad grew mainly grain crops
like wheat, barley and sorghum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
landscape has changed tremendously, especially with large numbers of much larger dams for
irrigating cotton and a variety of other seasonal crops. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruce organised our time at Dalby</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpeLXbLePsYTaeq4yJDlgs5ab8PNyFqkDj5z46nC52rdcbH8nA9W0uQgV4B8qndnQnbcRnaxLSp0U7CFfOuvI-Lhr7grIqwhkuOKjqzUebAixsS510CeaH7I6Me_szeOWhPLb2-941eU/s1600/Dalby+book+signing+web+small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpeLXbLePsYTaeq4yJDlgs5ab8PNyFqkDj5z46nC52rdcbH8nA9W0uQgV4B8qndnQnbcRnaxLSp0U7CFfOuvI-Lhr7grIqwhkuOKjqzUebAixsS510CeaH7I6Me_szeOWhPLb2-941eU/s320/Dalby+book+signing+web+small.JPG" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia;">We were booked to stay several days with my
brother Stan Pedler on a farm some distance from Dalby. The minister at the
church in Dalby was an old friend of ours and a great organiser of a dinner where we spoke and Ray preached at their church the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia;">It was our first experience doing a book-signing for a general market bookshop. Collins Bookshop was in a large shopping complex and a great experience. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia;">I also enjoyed very much meeting old friends and family, some who live in Dalby and others out on farms I remember visiting many years ago with my own family.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia;">As I mentioned in the last blog post,
we were concerned about the “sore” on Ray’s face. The day we arrived at Stan’s,
my brother mentioned he had a very painful knee. He lived close to an hour’s
drive from Dalby so made an appointment to see his doctor while we were at the
book-signing. It was too good an opportunity to miss, so while I stayed with
our books for a brief while, Ray went with Stan hoping to be able to also see a
doctor at the clinic. I have no doubt God was organising us even more than
our friend could have control of.</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3edZQELX5wrn3oEUEqBUqrCcG-TfHfLEQcuvBuDvptlD5a2GqBno3ypsmYVbrPDbDQ13wOVfNenbFJUIbL8YHnE4clOIBc3qs1tlWie0bFlTjQcsPETL2lzhihkIbQbBjTvx3-GBrtMo/s1600/Stan+at+shopping+centre+web+small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3edZQELX5wrn3oEUEqBUqrCcG-TfHfLEQcuvBuDvptlD5a2GqBno3ypsmYVbrPDbDQ13wOVfNenbFJUIbL8YHnE4clOIBc3qs1tlWie0bFlTjQcsPETL2lzhihkIbQbBjTvx3-GBrtMo/s200/Stan+at+shopping+centre+web+small.JPG" width="151" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My big brother, Stan.</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia;">Stan’s doctor took one look and
booked Ray in to have it cut out in the surgery the next afternoon. Only later
did we discover he was concerned enough to give up his day off to do that.
Family and friends have told us this doctor Ray “happened” to see is very
highly thought of in the area as the doctor with a great deal of experience at
the local Skin Cancer Clinic. Yes, it was a Squamous Cell Carcinoma - still
nasty but not as vicious as a melanoma. So for nearly a fortnight during the
conference and speaking appointments, Ray had that dressing on his face.</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia;">Oh, need I mention the pain in Stan’s
knee also stopped quickly over the next few days? God is good and His mercies
endure forever.</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMPoppv5ut-sjnmMhAuvlfEGcjpGs6YfGI88Y9jdY0OuOe0ILUkKGcF0Ejl3ObNNqoOguybWlYGbmSITTZ2nfrb2g4EDEi86hIXGgr86mSQ13UCrLG5seBdStQsN34OC9dltu8dnPCf0/s1600/CALEB+Ruth,+Annie,+Jo+Web+small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMPoppv5ut-sjnmMhAuvlfEGcjpGs6YfGI88Y9jdY0OuOe0ILUkKGcF0Ejl3ObNNqoOguybWlYGbmSITTZ2nfrb2g4EDEi86hIXGgr86mSQ13UCrLG5seBdStQsN34OC9dltu8dnPCf0/s200/CALEB+Ruth,+Annie,+Jo+Web+small.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ruth Bonetti, Anne Hamilton</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> and Jo Wanmer</span></span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We could only spend a brief few hours with family and friends in my home town of <st1:city w:st="on">Toowoomba</st1:city> on the way to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Brisbane</st1:place></st1:city> and the wonderful CALEB writers’ conference.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hard working CALEB members who worked hard organising our conference our great conference.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Omega Writers organise the Award dinner and fiction finalists wait to be told the dinner.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The few days were a wonderful time of fellowship with other writers. This input to my writing was something I regret very much not having for over ten years in those early days of</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">trying to write that first book, Search for Tomorrow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The writers in the master class I presented doing an exercise about point of view and dialogue - while I had a break from speaking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPNxPuiakLABsa-cJm5pwABQnn8So25LRdUlqLCpFO3K3ptK7MLPtgl8UB3vZ5lhGcbBYNolgVDS-sVB4fkYbLMpyKe6vyvO8eZTMhBCpFRoxw5a_9s7d89XJ5t8xaWtKQtUtSqhGZD0/s1600/Wombat+authors+with+Rochelle+at+CALEb+web+small+Oct+2013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPNxPuiakLABsa-cJm5pwABQnn8So25LRdUlqLCpFO3K3ptK7MLPtgl8UB3vZ5lhGcbBYNolgVDS-sVB4fkYbLMpyKe6vyvO8eZTMhBCpFRoxw5a_9s7d89XJ5t8xaWtKQtUtSqhGZD0/s320/Wombat+authors+with+Rochelle+at+CALEb+web+small+Oct+2013.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The publisher of Wombat/Even Before Publishing with most of her published authors - except my husband, Ray, who had sneaked off too soon after the dinner.</span></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I am so thrilled and proud of our Aussie writers. </span></o:p></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">May we all continue to try and improve our efforts to give readers more challenging and entertaining books. I am only sorry my camera was not working properly so could have more photos.</span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Currently I am trying very hard to get to what I hope wil be the final revisions for my new single title, Her Outback Cowboy. </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>When I do get time, afraid I am too slow preparing my blog posts and now Christmas Day has come and gone as I type this on Boxing Day. I do hope all reading this have had a great time yesterday and a restful time today. May you know personally the true wonder of how God has shown His love for us by giving us His only Son.</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>I am afraid I did not think to get my camera out yesterday when at Craig and Rachelle's for our Christmas time together. Those six grandchildren had a wonderful time today with their presents. I stayed with them for a few hours while Mum and Dad - and Grandad too - had to work at Seahorse World and Seahorse Australia breeding farm. Like all farms, the animals - and fish! - still have to be cared for on holidays. </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>And now the rest of our trip - already over too long ago - has to wait until I have time to prepare PART THREE - especially some more photos I hope you might enjoy. </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Would love anyone who is in the above photos to let me know in a comment. </em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I also have a post last Monday and the next two on some of the basics of writing Christian Romance - Click on this:- </span></em><a href="http://australasianchristianwriters.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Australasian Christian Writers</a> </div>
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Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-88739030434724136482013-12-12T17:14:00.001+11:002013-12-12T21:50:12.481+11:00MY JOURNEY SINCE LAST AUGUST (Part One)<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I wonder how many times over the years I’ve said something like, ‘Where has all the time gone?’ The older I get the faster ‘time’ rushes by. I just checked back and to my horror realised it is nearly four months since I posted a blog here that was not a review of a fellow author’s book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So much has happened since then I hardly know where to start. Last August here, I renewed some old memories of the wonderful American Christian Fiction Writers conference Ray and I were so privileged to share. Some of my Aussie writer friends were off to this year’s conference so I had to get out some of my old photos. Since then I have tried to keep my Facebook friends up to date on some of my journey. Today am sharing more, including photographs I hope tell more of our time with family, old friends and making new friendships. As always though, we did miss taking photos of some events.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was a busy time over several months organising our six week trip on the mainland for September and October. Thankfully at the very beginning of our travels neither of us were sea-sick this time on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to Melbourne. We drove up to Queensland from Melbourne through the inland, back home down the coast from Brisbane to Sydney and then inland again back to Melbourne. By the time we arrived home to our lovely Tasmania, we had travelled 5,124 kilometres and did take some time of course to recover! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">First stop Melbourne and a much needed rest with our daughter who took us to the beautiful Rhododendron gardens in the Dandenong mountains:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Then we drove through Victoria, stopping at Christian bookshops in towns on the way up to Central West New South Wales to Orange. We once lived in this beautiful city where two of our children were born and where we commenced a new church. Couldn't resist taking a photo of this house. This was the old church manse we lived in and where the first meetings of the church began way back in 1968.</span> <br />
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During those years I was on the committee which commenced the first Christian bookshop in Orange. It was a wonderful privilege to do a book-signing in the shop now known as Pilgrim Christian bookshop.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We stayed with the current minister and his wife, lovely John and Patricia Shuttleworth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ray preached at their Sunday service where we were delighted how many folk filled the chapel and how many bought our books too of course. It was a great time renewing friendship with some old friends still there as well as seeing how God has blessed and grown the ministry of the fellowship we helped commence. We had a lovely evening with the Abel family. My, how the numbers there have grown oven these many years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Out next overnight stop was Tamworth where we renewed memories again with special friends we had known in Maitland in the Hunter Valley. Merrilyn and Glenn Rose.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVegwRW8_ioXBSp9w-92FJy2rWTU8_l_2Y4jpElfzWEODJ0nzdMpzlknqcD7TmNUY492KQW-5PoTrLUF2RfstNpNulHs7MDfENxFYz_2CZK6oyXyExXX-S07Kk8T3nE6FkcaOAy47qdw/s1600/Tamworth+speaking+appointment+Ray+web+small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVegwRW8_ioXBSp9w-92FJy2rWTU8_l_2Y4jpElfzWEODJ0nzdMpzlknqcD7TmNUY492KQW-5PoTrLUF2RfstNpNulHs7MDfENxFYz_2CZK6oyXyExXX-S07Kk8T3nE6FkcaOAy47qdw/s400/Tamworth+speaking+appointment+Ray+web+small.JPG" width="286" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our friends organised a meeting for us. Again wonderful to meet old friends not seen for too many years. I roped Ray in at this meeting to share also about how he had at last given in to his wife's nagging - oops, <em>encouragement</em> of course! - to write devotional books. As well as his first self-published 'Neurotic Rooster', Ray now has four of his themed 31 Day Devotional Book series published by Wombat Books in their Even Before Publishing division. 'Dynamic Ageing' is scheduled for release this coming February and his 'Signpost To Happiness' in May. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was in Tamworth we became concerned about</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">a lesion on Ray's face that was getting worse instead of better from his Tasmanian doctor's treatment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is so wonderful to look back and see how God was in control of our scheduling on this trip. That lesion turned out to need urgent treatment....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But that will have to be told in my next blog post:- </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> MY JOURNEY SINCE LAST AUGUST - PART TWO </span><br />
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Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-72935365999696160652013-12-04T11:49:00.000+11:002013-12-04T11:49:04.235+11:00BLOG TOUR: A New Resolution<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Rose Dee's books just keep getting better and better. Don't miss her Resolution trilogy and this book tour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Do scroll right to end of blog to see the giveaway and how to enter. Fabulous prizes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 - 6 December 2013</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><a href="http://acrba.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; line-height: 25px;">Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is Introducing </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.koorong.com/search/product/resolution-3-new-resolution-a-rose-dee/9781922074225.jhtml" target="_blank">A New Resolution</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">( Even Before Publishers Oct 2012)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Rose Dee</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>About the Book:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resolution Island is a safe haven for Anika Demeur - a chance to fulfil dreams, find her place in the world, and a new life for her and young son, Kye. But her dreams of a future are shattered when her son's security is challenged, and the rich and privileged Texan, Nate Hollingsworth sails into the bay. Now Ani must not only fight for her son, but also a growing attraction she has to the one type of man she loathes.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em;" />Nate is on a mission - to fulfill his mother's last wish, and change his life. Dropping anchor in the idyllic Resolution harbor, he didn't anticipate becoming involved in illegal fishing, a murder, or an unexpected attraction to the most exasperating woman he has ever met.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em;" />The Australian tropical Island, Resolution, sets the scene again for adventures, dreams, and new beginnings. <i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em;">A New Resolution</i> is the final book in the 'Resolution' trilogy, following <i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em;">Back to Resolution</i> and <i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em;">Beyond Resolution</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>About the Author:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.18px;">Rose Dee was born in Ingham, North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel. Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, decided to try her hand at writing two years ago. The result of that attempt is her first novel, </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 19.18px;">Back to Resolution</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.18px;">. Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women. Rose's other releases include </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 19.18px;">Beyond Resolution</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.18px;"> - the second book in the 'Resolution' series. And </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 19.18px;">A New Resolution</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.18px;"> the final book in the series. Rose has also co-written a novel in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian Authors: </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 19.18px;">The Greenfield Legacy</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.18px;">. Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.18px;">For all ACRBA members who post the will get an entry into this giveaway. All who leave a comment on any blogs will get an entry into the giveaway. The more blogs you comment on the more entries. This giveaway is open to Australian readers. To enter you need to answer a question about what part of North Queensland you would like to see or leave a comment with a question for Rose. Comments saying sounds interesting enter me will not be equate to an entry. Also leave a way to contact you if you win for example myemail at mymail dot com. entries open til Thursday 12 Dec.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FIRST PRIZE:<u></u><u></u></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">E-Reader (Details below) AND: an e-reader version of each one of my 4 novels – the 3 ‘Resolution’ series novels, and The Greenfield Legacy (gifted via email).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">E-Reader:<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reader™ with 6.0" paper-like touch screen (Red)<u></u><u></u></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Model:</span><span style="color: #333333;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PRST2RC<u></u><u></u></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This slim and light Reader with touch screen puts thousands of your favourite stories at your fingertips. Effortlessly turn the page with a swipe of your finger and the glare-free screen reads just like a real book, even under direct sunlight.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">•</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;">6" E-Ink® Pearl is designed to feel like a real book with a glare-free paper-like screen for reading<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">•</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;">Battery life of up to 2 months with wireless off and up to 1.5 months with wireless on. Up to 30,000 continuous page turns when reading only<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">•</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;">Let your friends and family know what you are reading and share excerpts up to 140 characters with Facebook® built into the Reader™<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">•</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;">Store posts, articles, and text-based webpages all in your Reader™ with Evernote’s integrated services<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">•</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;">Access public library eBooks and PDF files through the integrated OverDrive® service<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">•</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;">eBook purchases will need to be completed via computer<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SECOND PRIZE:<u></u><u></u></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A copy of ‘The Greenfield Legacy’, and a Silver and Amber Grapevine inspired pendant. Really pretty, and ties in nicely with TGL as it is set on a vineyard in the McLaren Vale region. Also the cover is pendant inspired.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A personalised sign copy of each books in my ‘Resolution’ Series. 3 hard copy books in total. </span></div>
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Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-62726990710596470422013-09-24T09:41:00.002+10:002013-09-24T09:41:52.006+10:00Blog Tour (and apology) :Streets on a Map<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQV-55bgw8n-ov3SFIwco2XJ8d5wJ7-xhl24I1vMWwZXSVlr7YPAdwBapKCVc4ZMzYx-z-aByGUEWG_o31DtKbVC0jViUNxrvcFxnH9BndlwCA5LXY2LxDn6CH-gSP9KgWHlVdLlPylyM/s1600/acrba+button1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQV-55bgw8n-ov3SFIwco2XJ8d5wJ7-xhl24I1vMWwZXSVlr7YPAdwBapKCVc4ZMzYx-z-aByGUEWG_o31DtKbVC0jViUNxrvcFxnH9BndlwCA5LXY2LxDn6CH-gSP9KgWHlVdLlPylyM/s1600/acrba+button1.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">23 - 27 September</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://acrba.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Introducing</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.koorong.com/search/product/streets-on-a-map-dale-harcombe/9781921589430.jhtml" target="_blank">Streets of a Map</a> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Ark House Press December 2010)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dale Harcombe</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAB4Vjo0pW0SU7nD_ecVoo2N6g0hpFQXOMQ52sHvoCfPTlhrwyq94AJALNCRD4njTQrw_PRj8sKJUBtvYrHjskVfpsQD7CM0Q1iRh2Ck-iC8Q22juW9wf9mjbIEOhXKrPeM0rr_y9nYdE/s1600/9781921589430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAB4Vjo0pW0SU7nD_ecVoo2N6g0hpFQXOMQ52sHvoCfPTlhrwyq94AJALNCRD4njTQrw_PRj8sKJUBtvYrHjskVfpsQD7CM0Q1iRh2Ck-iC8Q22juW9wf9mjbIEOhXKrPeM0rr_y9nYdE/s320/9781921589430.jpg" width="206" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>About the Book</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Every choice carries a price as Abby discovers when she marries Joel. If she had known when Joel first walked into Clancy’s what lay in store, she would have stopped the relationship before it got started. However, by the time she found out it was too late. The choice was made. Or so she thought.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">But then between her and her one friend in Astley, Laila, they arrive at solution that could benefit Abby and the small county town. A deliberately lit fire and an unplanned pregnancy threaten to bring their carefully laid plans and Abby's dreams undone. Problems of some newcomers to the town impinge on Abby's life too, but it is the arrival of an old resident of Astley that could end up destroying everything and not just for Abby. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Who else's lives will be affected and changed forever. Will the unwelcome arrivals in Astley destroy everything Abby and Laila have worked to achieve? What is the secret that will have all of Astley reeling?</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPcPbc1cCOx2F9waWXVhpt1T-0FXWXSUW9kk9BeherDnwJEK-0vCgtTzxFFhEnQ-8jdhGvLv5-M6JgDqC1hP8e9VXfpjxpOdqOoPvFXLxMZpR3-Wjtt5m_FH7WxdWTbejmQP2B1Julxs/s1600/wedding+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPcPbc1cCOx2F9waWXVhpt1T-0FXWXSUW9kk9BeherDnwJEK-0vCgtTzxFFhEnQ-8jdhGvLv5-M6JgDqC1hP8e9VXfpjxpOdqOoPvFXLxMZpR3-Wjtt5m_FH7WxdWTbejmQP2B1Julxs/s320/wedding+photo.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Streets on a Map, was published by Ark House Press. Prior to that Dale has had seven children’s books and Kaleidoscope a collection of poetry published. Many poems in Kaleidoscope have been previously published in Australia’s literary magazines. She has won prizes for her poetry and has been published in several anthologies. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Along with her husband, Dale was for a time houseparent for a family of twelve boys. She has also been a manuscript assessor and book reviewer and run creative writing classes. She has also written bible studies and Sunday school lessons. For several years she wrote about Christian living, marriage and home related topics for </span><a href="http://www.families.com/" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">www.families.com</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">. She has a BA in Literary and Australian studies. More information about Dale can be found at </span><a href="http://www.daleharcombe.com/" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">www.daleharcombe.com</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> or on her Write and Read with Dale blog</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/orangedale/" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">http://www.livejournal.com/<wbr></wbr>users/orangedale/</a></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXoS47H1aouiywDoHJjnBkLIxhlyZ2P6_7gw_BPl1pdekuD35Z2Ownot88j9WTUfP6O-wHp_-zP4xykmkRPbUDIim97Lgz6jzhfBX89Z54RQzhHq9baOb5ps9SC0nWeo-1t0jJnSrZn3A/s1600/Messy+desk+%2526+grim+Mary.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXoS47H1aouiywDoHJjnBkLIxhlyZ2P6_7gw_BPl1pdekuD35Z2Ownot88j9WTUfP6O-wHp_-zP4xykmkRPbUDIim97Lgz6jzhfBX89Z54RQzhHq9baOb5ps9SC0nWeo-1t0jJnSrZn3A/s320/Messy+desk+%2526+grim+Mary.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><strong>MARY SAYS</strong>:</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">First of all my apologies for not posting here for the last few weeks. I have been concentrating on getting my current manuscript finished and one way to be able to do that is not spend so much time on the internet.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">However, can't resist sharing this book with you which I read when it was first released. Don't miss this book! A really good read.</span></div>
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Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-74295900370046760832013-09-02T17:43:00.000+10:002013-09-03T11:40:38.637+10:00Blog Tour: An Unholy Communion - A Compelling Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>With English and Scottish ancestry, I have always enjoyed historical novels set in the United Kingdom. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this is a contemporary novel it contains much information about the historical background of special places the characters visit on a pilgrimage. To my delight, while the characters and mystery were very intriguing, this book included places I have been privileged to visit, especially Pembrokeshire and my favourite cathedral at St Davids in Wales. I only wish I’d read this book before being there!</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">An Unholy Communion</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> is the third book in Donna Fletcher Crow’s Monastery Mystery series but the first book of hers I have ever read. I love “discovering” new authors whose books I really enjoy reading. Her back-list is very impressive and I am looking forward very much to reading other titles. <o:p></o:p></span></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>I am so pleased Donna has kindly agreed to share with us a little about herself. As a reader and a writer also, I found the following very interesting.</b></i></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Thank you so much, Mary, I’m delighted to be in Australia with you and your readers today—if only virtually. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">And I’m so pleased that you enjoyed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An Unholy Communion</i>! I’ve wanted to tell the story of St. David and the development of Christianity in Wales for something like twenty years. After I wrote <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Glastonbury</i>, The Story of Christian England and then <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fields of Bannockburn</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Banks of the Boyne</i>, epics of Christianity in Scotland and Ireland, Wales was the next obvious project. But editors move, markets change, other stories assert themselves. . .in other words, life happens. So I had to wait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Research in Wales among the tombstones - and the rain.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">One of the things I’ve loved most about writing The Monastery Murders is that it has given me a chance to tell stories I’ve long wanted to explore. The first book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Very Private Grave</i> is about St. Cuthbert, book 2 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Darkly Hidden Truth</i> is about the English mystical writers Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe. But, as you mentioned above, all these books are actually contemporary mysteries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Perhaps I should explain. Our daughter studied classics at Oxford, worked in London, went off to study at a theological college run by monks in a monastery in Yorkshire and wound up marrying a Church of England priest. As I shared Elizabeth’s journey and got to know the monks and ordinands at The College of the Resurrection it dawned on me what a great background that would make for a book—actually a series of books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">And so, my heroine Felicity is a young American woman who studied classics at Oxford, worked in London, went off to study. . . well, you get the picture. Everything I write is based on an experience I have had<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>visiting Elizabeth or on a research trip. Except for the murders, you understand. I love the contrast of keeping everything as realistic as I can and then letting my imagination soar for the mystery bits. And I hope it helps my readers keep the pages turning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">For <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An Unholy Communion</i> I took part in a 126-mile youthwalk pilgrimage from London to Walsingham. I was a considerably overage “youth” but they were wonderful to me and I learned the logistics of how such an undertaking works. Then I followed the ancient Cistercian Way through southern Wales with a sister mystery writer doing the driving. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent a wonderful four-day retreat at St. Non’s on the very southwest tip of Wales, walking the Pembrokeshire cliffs above the ocean, worshipping at St. David’s Cathedral and exploring every inch of the ruined Bishop’s Palace where some of the pivotal action takes place in the book. You can see pictures from my research trips on my website - see details below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">And now I’m hard at work on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Muffled Tolling</i>, book 4 in the series, set in Oxford. Although I have written historical novels such as the epics mentioned above, The Cambridge Chronicles, a six-book series about the history of the Evangelical Anglicans, and The Daughters of Courage, an Idaho pioneer family saga based on my own family, as well as romance, children’s books and nonfiction I’m specializing in mystery writing now, trying to keep up with three series. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The Elizabeth & Richard Mysteries is a literary suspense series. Elizabeth and Richard are both English professors and each book has a literary figure in the background: Dorothy L Sayers <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in The Shadow Reality</i>, Shakespeare in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Midsummer Eve’s Nightmare</i>, and Jane Austen in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Jane Austen Encounter</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">My Lord Danvers series is Victorian true-crime where I wrap a fictional mystery around an actual historical murder. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Tincture of Murder </i>is my most recent release—where my research turned up a truly bizarre crime worthy of Dickens, so that story has the bonus of two true crimes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">My husband (of 50 years) and I have 4 children and 12 grandchildren. When I’m not reading, writing or visiting my grandchildren I can be found in my<b><i> </i></b>garden. As I write, however, the weeds have taken over. On my website (click on address in details below) you </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">can see trailers for each of my Monastery Murders, read about all my books and see pictures of my garden in more flourishing days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would also love to have you follow me on <a href="http://ning.it/14oYMOx" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i>Thank you so much for sharing this, Donna, and the photo. I for one will be looking forward to reading your back list - and future novels. </i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i>Here is the detailed information about the book. </i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i>Readers from an Anglo-Catholic and Catholic background may appreciate some of the setting even more than I did, but PLEASE don't let this be a deterrent in anyway from seeing God at work in these characters, story Donna has so wonderfully crafter.</i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i>DO CONTINUE TO READ MORE DETAILS BELOW</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://acrba.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Australia Christian Readers Blog Alliance</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Introducing</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.koorong.com/search/product/monastery-murders-3-unholy-communion-an-donna-fletcher/9781782640042.jhtml;jsessionid=5A31D16A16BD7404A8F6B3D1E751C29E" target="_blank">An Unholy Communion</a></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Lion Hudson (1 April 2013)</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">by</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Donna Fletcher Crow </span></span></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b style="background-color: white;">About the Author:</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQg7iWGsqsXWmbKdGlkmoo9DUzpC4KxkjbhgVXF9UKMrCY-W37UH_lOpntL5xtB2PPubgd0_qzSZDpLQh9LuOD43Ps-JF_VAFLTdt6hhrFPOhQ64YwtPnDHP_ZXfwFSdF8iz_GL8p6x5c/s1600/Donna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQg7iWGsqsXWmbKdGlkmoo9DUzpC4KxkjbhgVXF9UKMrCY-W37UH_lOpntL5xtB2PPubgd0_qzSZDpLQh9LuOD43Ps-JF_VAFLTdt6hhrFPOhQ64YwtPnDHP_ZXfwFSdF8iz_GL8p6x5c/s320/Donna.jpg" width="226" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><br /></b></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">"Donna Fletcher Crow has created her own niche within the genre of clerical mysteries." - Kate Charles, author of Deep Waters</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">First light, Ascension morning. From the top of the tower at the College of Transfiguration, voices rise in song.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Felicity's delight turns to horror when a black-robed body hurtles over the precipice and lands at her feet.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Her fiancé Father Antony recognizes the corpse as Hwyl Pendry, a former student, who has been serving as Deliverance Minister in a Welsh diocese. The police ignore the strange emblem of a double-headed snake clutched in the dead man's hand, labelling the death a suicide. But Hwyl's widow is convinced otherwise, and pleads for Felicity and Antony to help her uncover the truth.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Matters grow murkier as Felicity and Antony, leading a youth pilgrimage through rural Wales, encounter the same sinister symbol as they travel. Lurking figures follow them. Then a body is found face-down in a well …</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">"Donna Fletcher Crow gives us, in three extremely persuasive dimensions, the world that Dan Brown merely sketches." - Timothy Hallinan, author of The Queen of Patpong</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>About the Book:</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3beYf9R8jImDF-ulDZXA9Hv62Z0gUYhUVVKr5ly08Bpj4G9kp6xuxL7dxE7X7AGMjllyo6YSLeo-hPnGb9_GB_KMABnQ-W2fyAXvfrhB-88yVLIk4rLmXTgTqH8qhXbhxLmXX_03Dzwo/s1600/An+Unholy+Communion,+final+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3beYf9R8jImDF-ulDZXA9Hv62Z0gUYhUVVKr5ly08Bpj4G9kp6xuxL7dxE7X7AGMjllyo6YSLeo-hPnGb9_GB_KMABnQ-W2fyAXvfrhB-88yVLIk4rLmXTgTqH8qhXbhxLmXX_03Dzwo/s320/An+Unholy+Communion,+final+(1).jpg" width="246" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><br /></b></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Donna Fletcher Crow is the author of 40 books, mostly novels dealing with British history. The award-winning Glastonbury, A Novel of the Holy Grail, an Arthurian grail search epic covering 15 centuries of English history, is her best-known work. She is also the author of The Monastery Murders: A Very Private Grave, A Darkly Hidden Truth and An Unholy Communion as well as the Lord Danvers series of Victorian true-crime novels and the literary suspense series The Elizabeth & Richard Mysteries. Donna and her husband live in Boise, Idaho. They have 4 adult children and 11 grandchildren. She is an enthusiastic gardener. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">To read more about all of Donna's books and see pictures from her garden and research trips go to: </span><a href="http://www.donnafletchercrow.com/" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">http://www.donnafletchercrow.<wbr></wbr>com/</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">You can follow her on Facebook at: </span><a href="http://ning.it/OHi0MY" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">http://ning.it/OHi0MY</a></span></div>
Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-63856770783420257672013-08-19T14:13:00.001+10:002013-08-19T14:13:48.550+10:00MEMORIES OF MY AMERICAN CHRISTIAN FICTION WRITERS CONFERENCE<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This morning I received an email from the American Christian Fiction Writers Beyond the Borders Zone chapter asking for a photo to be included in a slide show at the Zone breakfast for this years conference. It has been quite a while since I looked at my old photos of that awesome conference Ray and I were so privileged to go to. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Memories of that 2009 ACFW in Denver flooded back, especially as I started looking for a photo. Simply can't resist sharing a few here of the many we took that year. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This photo shows the generosity and friendliness shown by everyone to this rather nervous Aussie intruder. What a thrill it was to listen to these great folk share in the sessions. (L-R) Karen Ball, Allen Arnold and with Debbie Macomber who was the Keynote Speaker that year as well as joining Karen and Allen in these published author sessions. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ray enjoyed helping at the Beyond the Border zone table and handing out some of the Aussie goodies at the book-signing </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lisa Harris and I first met in Johannesburg four years before and enjoyed meeting her again so very much.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Colleen Coble and I had exchanged emails over the years and how exciting to meet another of my all-time favourite authors.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Perhaps of all the authors I met, Lena and I have been in touch the longest since the early days of the Barbour Heartsong Presents book club. Who can resist her smile and loving hugs!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Margaret Daley was kind enough to endorse my Outback From Baragula. She was president of ACFW operating board in 2012.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As well as writing great books, Cheryl Wyatt has since become very involved also on the ACFW board </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Kim Vogel Sawyer </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">too so generously endorsed my Outback From Baragula novel.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Like so many of the great authors I met in Denver, many of her beautiful stories are "keepers" on my book shelves. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And now I'll have to put some of my other photos sometime on my Facebook page instead of here. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">How I would love to be able to go to the ACFW conference this year when other Aussies are going. I know they will be wonderfully blessed and I look forward to seeing their photos and hearing about their experiences.</span>Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-24782465078344126922013-07-29T10:44:00.002+10:002013-07-29T10:44:38.793+10:00MY HUSBAND'S NIGHTMARE - AND MY CHUCKLE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After my "Catch Up" blog last week, Ray took pity on me. This priceless story suddenly landed on my desk. After a good laugh, knew I had to share it with you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I think Ray should be a novelist as well as a devotional writer!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>A Husband’s Greatest Fear - Or</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">("I was swallowed by my Wife’s Handbag.")</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I had seen it. Mouth open with zipper pulled right back. Here was a monster waiting a victim. Mary’s handbag had been placed on my favourite seat. As I moved towards it my eyes and mind became distracted by a television news item. Suffering short term memory loss, I decided to sit down. Then the nightmare began.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As my rump squashed the handbag it came alive. It grabbed me. I resisted but the suction was too strong. Down, down, down I went past a forest of paper. I glimpsed such things as a car license, shopping list, an invitation to our grand-daughter’s children tea party and a shopper docket. Trying to cling onto of one was fruitless. In fact I cut my fingers on the sharp edges of the papers. At least my fall was softened by a moist tissue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There at the base of the bag I realised I was a captive in a fake leather, slightly faded voluminous and crowded bag. Cramped, confused and feeling claustrophobic, panic tried to ride roughshod over me. Being a man however I knew how to cope. I screamed! Unfortunately the soft sides of the bag muffled my cries. Taking a hold of myself I did what any self respecting, self controlled man would do. I lashed out and kicked the nearest item. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Ouch!” That was silly; now I had a slight gash on my shin from a collection of keys lurking in the crevices like a metal spider.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Only one thing to do, climb! Light seemed to trickle down from above, casting shadows due to Mary’s wallet and credit card holder. Still I realised I had to escape. Loose change made my footing unstable as I searched for the comb I knew she carried. I fell. My face hit something hard yet sweet. A cough lolly. As I licked it I felt a renewed sense of vigour, found the comb under a piece of Lego. This was probably taken from our small grandson who had a habit of putting things in his mouth. I placed the comb, with much effort, against the bag’s side. Comb tooth, by comb tooth, I made my way upwards. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What the…? What was wrapping itself around my leg? What had fallen on my head? A sense of unease was only overcome when, in the dim light, I saw it was strands of grey hair. I never realised Mary’s hair was so strong. It was like Tarzan’s swinging vines. I kicked, shook and finally pulled my way clear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Who would have thought all those jokes about a woman’s handbag would prove so true? So much stuff closeted away in what I could now believe was similar to Dr. Who’s Tardis. Nervously I continued my climb. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Careful now,” I said to myself, “don’t fall over the edge into the secret compartment or you’ll never be found.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Drawing near to the top, I sighed with relief which soon gave way to despair. Fingers had hold of the zipper. Mary was home but danger lurked for me as she began to close the bag’s mouth. Was I about to be devoured? Would Mary ever wonder what had happened to me? And I hadn’t even kissed her that morning!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Tears of fear and frustration joined in a torrential outburst of anger. Too late! I was doomed to wander forever in Mary’s handbag. As I sank down in misery, a cry shattered my sorrow. My eyes flickered. Light penetrated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A voice spoke to me “Are you alright my darling? What’s happened to you? Why is the chair upside down? How did my bag become squashed and things scattered over the floor? Look at you, you’re a mess and that bruise on your head will need some ice.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Uh oh! How could I ever tell her the truth?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We are so grateful to God for over 48 years of sharing fun, ministry, rearing our beautiful family and now writing together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Do check out Ray's published devotional books - print and e-books.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you cannot find a printed copy in your bookshop he can sell them direct. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">See the contact page on: </span><a href="http://www.mary-hawkins.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.mary-hawkins.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-76511551622233819802013-07-25T22:53:00.002+10:002013-07-25T22:53:24.277+10:00‘LIFE”: Catching Up on Mary’s weeks. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our daughter just rang and said, “you’ve had a hectic few weeks, Mum.” As I told her some of the recent highlights in my life, I realised how little I have shared here with my blog readers the last few weeks, perhaps even months. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Life” happens to all of us. Some days and weeks roll by smoothly. Some weeks race by in a flurry of busy days until suddenly an appointment that seemed many weeks away is suddenly on the doorstep. I’ve had a few of those “doorstep” moments already this year. It has made me strongly suspect I’ve made a few too many commitments for 2013. Trouble is too often I forget to make time for the unexpected, unplanned events. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fortunately most of those busy days are physically – if not mentally and emotionally - free of any pain. Last August I had that week in hospital with septicaemia and it took several weeks to regain anywhere near the strength I had before it. This year it has been the turn of my teeth! This last week I’ve been getting used to having four less old teeth and four brand new teeth on a plate that I’m still trying to get used to. Although it all took too much time and disrupted days travelling to dental appointments, this has been and still is a much “happier” and pain free experience than I dared expect or prayed for. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Unfortunately I’m a “one track” minded kind of person and this shows up when I’m trying to do any creative writing. The brain needs to be relatively free of clutter to dwell for long periods in the heads of characters who need their stories told. That means I have to try and exercise far more discipline than I have had lately to make time to daydream, to sit and write than I’ve been able to the last few weeks, even months really. Besides clicking on this keyboard, reading and resting when I have to, I want to savour those delightful, joyful days with my loved and loving family, including with our church family members through their good and bad days too</span>. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Texans join us.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I spent some busy but “good” days being a tutor for a memoir story telling, six week course of our recently commenced West Tamar University of Third Age. Just after that concluded we enjoyed nearly a fortnight of “good” days with a team from Texas helping our church fellowship reach out to children and adults in our community with the message of Jesus Christ. A wonderful time again with Chris and Heather Horton and their children. This was their fourth visit with us over the last five years and once again so very timely for all that has been happening here. A real blessing of love and grace from our Lord.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Some “bad” days have included losing our dear friend Rhonda Hall last December, our elderly next door neighbour a couple of weeks ago and last week the 37 year old young husband of a church friend. Ray was honoured to take the funeral for both our elderly friend and the young man killed in a car accident. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As I look back over the years, there have been other periods of mind tumbling events that have stopped that creative flow, made me have to simply grit the teeth and force myself to write –whether it be a blog like this or that next chapter in the manuscript. Strange as it may seem, especially to anyone who has never tried to write a novel, there are also heaps of “writer business” that can help clutter the brain. Lately for me it has been waiting for the release of my out of print back list of novels as e-books – especially when they have not gone up on websites for sale on the scheduled time period I’ve been</span> given! <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There are also the events to try and plan like book-signings and speaking appointments. </span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Book Two</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Book One</td></tr>
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See details of these books on websites like </div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> , </div>
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<a href="http://www.koorong.com/" target="_blank">Koorong</a> and <a href="http://www.word.com.au/" target="_blank">Word Ausralia</a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Book Three</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Book Four</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I am so thrilled that all four historical books in my Great Southland series are now available again as e-books. Tonight is a “catch-up” blog but soon I hope to have more information for you about these books. A video trailer is currently being created about them for readers. Stay tuned!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In the meantime, do be patient with my irregular posting here. And one day in the near future, hopefully even before my trip to the Word Writers conference in Melbourne on August 9th and 10th , I’ll have completed the draft of the full manuscript of Her Outback Cowboy. As long of course as “Life” permits more time. </span></div>
Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-69826805639041669362013-07-01T19:52:00.000+10:002013-07-01T20:03:07.140+10:00Blog Tour: No Substitute<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Before I realised “No Substitute” was the book for the ACRBA July fiction book tour, I saw it when checking out Christian Fiction e-books. I am still new to buying books that I do not choose by picking them up in a shop, reading not only the back blurb but being able to flick through the pages to try and decide which ones to buy. I was unfamiliar with the author – which is one of the biggest reason for choosing my e-books at this stage. What I could read on-line about the theme, story and characters intrigued me enough to read the first few lines. I am just so glad I did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">First there was a verse that always challenges me: </span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:13</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Then the first few lines intrigued me: </span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“True or false, Miss Welsh? Did you ever date my father? Were you once in love with Him.”</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Amy Welsh squirmed in her chair at the front of the high school classroom, shocked by the unexpected question. </span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I too have attempted to write novels dealing with the issue of forgiveness and after reading another few lines was hooked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Why the question from a precocious student to her school teacher? Why did it upset her so much? How would a teacher handle that question that to her “appeared carefully chosen, deliberate, as if Shayne knew the answer but needed to hear it confirmed.” What did the forgiveness issues in the book have to do with a student and her teacher?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was hooked. and proceeded to do that rather dangerous “click click”. In a few seconds it was on my e-reader. I am certainly very glad I did so and thoroughly enjoyed the story of Amy, Shayne (that teenager), and her father Quentin. It is a “can’t turn off the e-reader” book and after checking Susan Diane Johnson’s blog am delighted she has another book accepted by a publisher. I am looking forward to the release date for her “True North”. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Congratulations to this new Christian Fiction writer, Susan Diane Johnson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Do read more about her and her first book below.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 - 5 July</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://acrba.blogspot.com/">Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-Substitute-Susan-Diane-Johnson/dp/1611161983" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">No Substitute</span></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span>Pelican Book Group</span> November 30, 2012)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Susan Diane Johnson</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/No-Substitute-Susan-Diane-Johnson/9781611161984" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Susan Diane Johnson aka Suzie Johnson</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I live on an island in Northwest Washington. A writer of Christian Fiction, my debut novel, No Substitute, is now available from Pelican Book Groups. During the day I work at my local hospital as a cancer registrar. During the evenings and on weekends, I write novels that I hope will bring joy and uplift the hearts of readers. I am married and have one grown son. I love to travel and see new places - especially by train. My favorite destinations are Victoria, B.C.; Williamsburg, Virginia; Disneyland; and Avila Beach in California. I love to read, write, go to baseball games, and ride roller coasters with my son. I am a member of American Christian Fiction Writers;Romance Writers of America; Faith, Hope and Love; National Cancer Registrars Association; and Washington State Tumor Registrars Association.You can find me on Inkwell Inspirations, a daily Christian Women's blog where I am a regular contributor. You can also find me on my personal blog, Suzie's Writing Place where I share my faith, my writing, and my love for books. I'm also onFacebook and Pinterest </span><wbr style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></wbr><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">where I can explore my love of beautiful historical clothing, the South of France, beaches, and certain television shows.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>About the Book:</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amy Welsh knew when she came back to the small Washington town of Goose Bay she'd eventually run into her high school sweetheart—the one who broke her heart seventeen years ago. Only Quentin Macmillan isn’t the boy she remembered. He could potentially be everything she's ever dreamed of. But remembering the past reminds Amy that she and Quentin aren't a pair of teenagers in the bloom of first love. Letting him into her life resurfaces all the hurt she's tried to ignore. Forgiveness isn't as simple—or easy—as it sounds, especially after Quentin and Amy discover his teenage daughter has been manipulating their feelings. If Amy can open her heart to healing, she’ll find the future God prepared for her.</span></span></div>
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Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-83914438456053817752013-06-25T16:38:00.002+10:002013-06-25T16:38:35.445+10:00Wintry Days both inside and outside<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Many overseas folk only think of Australia as the "hot, brown land". And yes, large parts are just that but many folk overseas do not know we also have snow fields and plenty of snow in some parts, including here in the island state of Tasmania. <br />
While my friends in the Northern Hemisphere are experiencing the dreadful tornados, floods and fires of summer it is winter here in Australia. Okay, so I've shared with you that summer tree, that autumn tree, but now its bare branches just look too sad. Instead, here is part of our own front yard and part of my poor flower garden. No, we don't get snow here where we live in northern Tasmania - for which I personally am very thankful because I am not at all fond of cold days. A few days ago we had our first heavy frosts here and naturally Mary moaned. <br />
As fast as I could before they froze, I poked my nose and fingers outside to take this photo. If I had thought fast enough - and got out of my warm bed sooner! - I'd have stayed in bed longer and asked my husband before he drove off to take this photo and also one of the thick ice on our car that was left out overnight. The house wasn't as warm as later in the morning but I was still so glad we have heating inside no matter how freezing it is outside.<br />
Made me think about those inner parts of my body and spirit when the cold winters of life try to cool my fire and faith in my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. <br />
Sure, I felt the effects of that icy air when I stepped outside right into it but once back inside with the warmth I did soon recover. How quickly do I recover inwardly when lashed by those storms of life which bring cold, cold blasts that would seek to harm, even destroy my faith in the Lord I handed control of my life to so many years ago? Where do I find the constant heating that warms and protects my faith during those "dark nights of the soul"?<br />
If we had decided to wait and purchase heating appliances only after freezing times arrived, how much longer I would have suffered from the cold. I know only too well that it is far wiser during the calm and pleasant days to make sure to nurture my faith. Sure, it may be through those very dark days when all we can do is cling to Christ that faith is proven to be true. Then that faith grow more and more as He gives comfort, strength for the days. But for that to happen, faith certainly needs to have a level of maturity to start with, a certainty that He is there, in control. <br />
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How do we start with that kind of faith? The Bible is our guide, our recipe for life. It tells us "...how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?... (Romans 10:14) and "...faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)." I must read, hear, know what God says as recorded in the Bible about Himself and how HE wants me to live. The "hearing" can only come as I make myself available to Him. I must never to neglect my own private times of reading, study of and meditating on the scriptures. It’s also no good “hearing” if not obeying. <br />
It is also foolish to neglect sharing that “hearing” with other believers whenever and wherever possible. Together we grow stronger in faith as we share and prove God's word is true and real. Then will we be ready for those faith-testing days that would try to keep our inward being cold, even frozen. If we neglect getting to know our God and HIS ways as revealed in His Word, we make it harder for God to give the warmth of His love, strength and comfort. <br />
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Over the years I have proved His faithfulness in the cold of winter and also the trials of summer. I hope you have and will continue to do so too.. Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-79995861914880266282013-06-12T14:15:00.000+10:002013-06-12T14:15:18.548+10:00BLOG TOUR: PICKING UP THE PIECES<em>Don't miss this book! I enjoyed the first edition of PICKING UP THE PIECES by Paula Vince a few years ago. Aussie Christian Fiction authors were few and far between then and I was thrilled to discover there were more of us getting our books out on bookshelves. I am even more delighted that Paula has kept writing her heart stories for me to enjoy. This is now only one book of several!</em><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is introducing</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.koorong.com/search/product/picking-up-the-pieces-paula-vince/9781921633409.jhtml?rxx=bsk" target="_blank">Picking up the pieces</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Even Before Publishing 2010</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Paula Vince</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Picking-up-Pieces-Paula-Vince/dp/1921633166" target="_blank">Available at Amazon </a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.lightthedark.com.au/dev/index.php/fiction/romance/picking-up-the-pieces.html" target="_blank">Light The Dark</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Award winning Australian author, PAULA VINCE, loves to evoke tears and laughter through writing fiction. She has a passion to provide inspiring stories that highlight her own beautiful country.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Website is <a href="http://www.paulavince.com/">http://www.paulavince.com/</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>About the Book:</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“One terrible decision leads to another and the Parker and Quinlan families find out what it means to be in total despair.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a moment of recklessness, Blake Quinlan does something he never should. The bitter consequences of his impulse will reverberate through the rest of his life unless he learns to deal with his past.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without warning, Claire Parker’s life shatters. One horrific event leads to a choice that she can never forget. She must find a source of strength and forgiveness to help her recover or she will never again be the happy person she once was.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving forward, there is still a ray of hope. A triumphant story about forgiveness, new beginnings and the power of love.”</span></div>
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Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-71086513558568752672013-05-31T22:33:00.001+10:002013-05-31T22:33:50.865+10:00These Many Years<div style="text-align: left;">
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A long time ago a nurse met a handsome young man at Bible college. They soon fell in love and married.</div>
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Over the years they shared many things and today they are both writers. She writes romance novels, he writes devotional meditation books but also poetry that often brings tears of delight and tremendous thanks to the Giver of all wonderful gifts to her. Here is another example of these love poems. It was handed to her today.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>These Many Years</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Many years have flown</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Since our very first kiss</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">That fateful Friday night</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When water and moonlight</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Met on Sydney harbour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And I was filled with awe</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As our love was born</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Those many years ago</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fifty years have sown</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Many memories</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To colour our testimony</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Of two lives becoming one</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Creating our history</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">With Jesus, God’s Son</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Within His ministry</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Those many years ago</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Many years have flown</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Light through shadows still shone</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In them both we have stood</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Knowing bitter and the good</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sharing God’s providence</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Believing with confidence </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">His promises are true</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Those many years ago</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fifty years have sown</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A love for you alone</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You’re my joy, my crown</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And this I would make known</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Before our Lord I bow</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There to renew my vow</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To love and cherish you</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Those many years to come</span></div>
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©Raymond N. Hawkins May 2013.</div>
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<br />Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-65666667061021061392013-05-18T12:38:00.001+10:002013-05-18T12:38:23.995+10:00IN BED WITH A KINDLE<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Cz3dq3HJuGaox-cpnKShO5hCOSBp-7HO5jO-RbdyyJO_tNfhKPyY9tDFrRXNrHhIAb38DEMZKBue44ImE0rWuUzttb8zkQ2dCjas5MYSAAfK2oPFEWtF0kqOIN8Cs06oTS8coRE6ocI/s1600/kindle+web+small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" pua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Cz3dq3HJuGaox-cpnKShO5hCOSBp-7HO5jO-RbdyyJO_tNfhKPyY9tDFrRXNrHhIAb38DEMZKBue44ImE0rWuUzttb8zkQ2dCjas5MYSAAfK2oPFEWtF0kqOIN8Cs06oTS8coRE6ocI/s320/kindle+web+small.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>My husband Ray and I have always had a lot of fun. He also writes great blog posts. Although...hmm...not sure about this one!</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Oh, and don't miss the "special" photo of him at the end! </strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mary loves to read in bed. That’s okay in daylight. Unfortunately house and other commitments make this rather difficult. So it is a night time feature. That requires a light. But we share the bed. That in turn means the light of her reading lamp to varying degrees casts its glow in my ‘realm’. Add to that the thunderous noise of turning pages and you understand my sleep deprivation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our children understood the pressure I was under due to lack of sleep. So their answer – buy mum a ‘Kindle’. They wanted me to enjoy a greater depth of slumber land and produce sweeter, richer tones to my snoring. Now Mary reads in bed with the kindle’s soft light and no crashing sound of turning pages. Bliss? I hoped so but it wasn’t so. Now every–time she touches the screen to turn the page a shadow flits across the ceiling and off the walls. Have you ever tried to sleep when light and shadow perform their weird dancing ritual? It might be silent. It is spooky. I once thought the room was haunted. This was due to a combination of her turning pages, she reads quickly, a storm outside and when she chuckled about something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Still you can adapt to anything after a while and with cunning strategies. If you can’t beat them, and you can’t join them, confuse them is my suggestion. I now listen to my bedside radio either to the news or soft dreamy music. Then with a mind at ease and eyes unafraid I drift off to sleep. Guess who has to turn off the radio. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You may think this wildly exaggerated. It is! However it does reveal the peril of modern inventions seized upon by addicted writers and readers. Then bosses, managers and governments wonder why we have so many workers arriving half asleep to work and coffee sales soaring. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IPeKztUyreKmQSDuYQBexPqfpdWRO4WQhv4Nw7RRI_-EHMMx8KNYCcxq9bxzJcNi9_5BzzMrMvGa9qpBpwdi346rWEGKpdAXIalMODhyphenhyphen-KtatyHH_MDSObLpsL2_bWa8XJY9udPBpr8/s1600/kindle+and+ray+websmall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" pua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IPeKztUyreKmQSDuYQBexPqfpdWRO4WQhv4Nw7RRI_-EHMMx8KNYCcxq9bxzJcNi9_5BzzMrMvGa9qpBpwdi346rWEGKpdAXIalMODhyphenhyphen-KtatyHH_MDSObLpsL2_bWa8XJY9udPBpr8/s320/kindle+and+ray+websmall.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Still, if I had to be honest, I wish I could sustain reading in bed for more than a paragraph. I’d love to challenge Mary to a Kindle endurance readathon? O well, a man can dream can he not? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ray (sleep deprived) Hawkins April 2013. </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em><strong>There it is! And we did have fun as he posed for the photo, but somehow I don't think he was quite prepared when the camera flashed as he acted out!</strong></em></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em><strong>But here is a big, big, thank you my darling for all those nights you did let me read with that bedside lamp on.</strong></em></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em><strong>And I have to add that of course the book on the photo is my own first Amazon e-book, Faith in the Great Southland.</strong></em></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em><strong>And just been told Hope in the Great Southland and Love in the Great Southland should be released also by Truly Yours Digital Editions in June. </strong></em></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em><strong>I can hardly wait.</strong></em></span><br />
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Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-89164058080945924112013-05-11T21:29:00.001+10:002013-05-11T21:29:15.225+10:00ACRBA BLOG TOUR - ELLENVALE GOLD<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I alway enjoy historical books set in our Australia. This book by one of my favourite Australian writers is one I really enjoyed and not to be missed. It is the first of three books and the next one, Black Forest Redemption, which is also now published is even </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">better!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 - 10 May</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://acrba.blogspot.com/">Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is introducing</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.koorong.com/search/product/jct-1-ellenvale-gold-amanda-deed/9781921633539.jhtml" target="_blank">Ellenvale Gold</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Even Before Publishing November </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">2012</span>)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Amanda Deed</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ellenvale-Gold-Amanda-Deed/dp/1921633530/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1367383896&sr=8-2&keywords=amanda+deed" target="_blank">Available at Amazon</a> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.lightthedark.com.au/dev/index.php/ellenvale-gold.html" target="_blank">Light The Dark</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>About the Author </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amanda Deed grew up in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne in a Christian home, and found faith at an early age. She has followed her passion to serve the Lord through music and literature since her teen years. Now married, with three children, Amanda enjoys the variety of being a mother, finance administrator, musician and historical romance writer. Her debut novel, <i>The Game</i>, won the 2010 CALEB Prize for fiction, and <i>Ellenvale Gold </i>was a finalist for the same prize in 2012. For more information go to</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Website: <a href="http://www.amandadeed.com.au/">http://www.amandadeed.com.au/</a></span></span></div>
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</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>About the Book:</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> It is the time of Australia’s harsh rogue-filled goldrush of the 1850’s when Miss Penelope Worthington suddenly finds herself orphaned, isolated and alone. With a large sheep station to run single-handedly, she has little option but to enlist the aid of a mysterious, but sinister stranger.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">But who is the more treacherous? Gus—the scruffy, trespassing, ex-convict who co-incidentally shows up looking for work just when she desperately needs a farmhand or Rupert—the handsome, wealthy neighbour who would willingly marry her at the drop of a hat and solve her apparent dilemma?</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Repeatedly, her faith is tested as she faces the unforgiving elements, deceit, lies and uncertainty. But where and how will it all end? But…is it the end? Will vengeance return or</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">will Penny’s faith prevail?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-59240311657091385352013-05-02T11:31:00.000+10:002013-05-02T11:31:20.465+10:00A Tutor For U3A<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Would really appreciate any thoughts about my venture into this new role.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Never heard of U3A? I did a few years ago but even when I found out what it stood for, have to confess didn’t even occur to me to investigate U3A. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Wikipedia tells me, “The University of the Third Age is an international organisation whose aims are the education and stimulation of retired members of the community - those in the third 'age' of life. It is commonly referred to as U3A.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was curious enough to attend a special meeting to introduce U3A commencing early this year in my area and liked what I heard so much I am now a member of the Tamar Valley U3A. Then when I heard about the kind of six week courses already being offered ventured to put my name down as willing to be a tutor. After all, I’ve been learning a lot about story telling now for more years than I like to remember some times! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So now, I am on a new learning adventure about being a “tutor” since my submission on writing memoirs was accepted. Registrations for the second term courses are now being taken and they will commence on May 20th. My course will be from 2-4pm each Thursday. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">U3A is an international organisation and I’d love to hear from anyone who has been, or is still a member. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I’ve now given many talks about writing, presented several workshops for writers but I’m wondering just how this may be different. I am planning on talking about using story-telling techniques to hook not only fond family readers but a wider readership</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What did you like the most about the tutor? What did you dislike the most?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And for those who have not been to U3A, what would you think those attending will need and also expect to learn about writing your life story so your ancestors will<em> know</em> who you are?</span>Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-73715600022792178902013-04-19T11:55:00.000+10:002013-04-19T11:55:56.748+10:00Winter is coming – Prepare! <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0YGSiNM8_SSq96LJz0RoTQ60exS_7vIrnNC-23sI7LeXiV9GtYRKoYDZC9PzmNuyWGAA-CUIwQxDgk1Z0j-Km6GcYnia0KA7mJyXbyUZ2hauiQdrC0AX_6Q2kOfOECgTDeet7NsBJTg/s1600/tree+spring+web+small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0YGSiNM8_SSq96LJz0RoTQ60exS_7vIrnNC-23sI7LeXiV9GtYRKoYDZC9PzmNuyWGAA-CUIwQxDgk1Z0j-Km6GcYnia0KA7mJyXbyUZ2hauiQdrC0AX_6Q2kOfOECgTDeet7NsBJTg/s200/tree+spring+web+small.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia;">My husband often smiles and tells me I still have too much “Queensland blood” in me because I feel the cold so much more than he does. While the Australian mainland has suffered high temperatures the past summer months, our part of Tasmania has enjoyed beautiful summer days right up until the last couple of days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now the bite of winter warns me to prepare for too many cold months, at least until only a few weeks before Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Spring cleaning? It is important to air the house, sort out cupboards after the house has been shut up all that long winter here. For me however, I’m discovering I need to prepare even more for Winter. Time to check the heating system, the clothes for increasingly colder days and nights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I’ve been watching “my tree” as we now call it change colour again. Each winter it warns me the nights are colder even when the sunny days lull me into putting off preparing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Our lives are like the seasons of the year. However, these kind of seasons may not come at the usual prescribed times like those of nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They vary from time to time and from age to age. In spring, no matter our number of birthdays we may feel young, full of life, getting ready more and more for new and exciting experiences. Summer comes and the heat of this season may slow us down but we enjoy fun in the sun, the maturity of years with warmth and joy. Autumn finds us realising we can’t always expect sunny days and those warm nights when sometimes we might find it even too hot to sleep. Then, sometimes before we are at all ready, the cold, biting winds and frosts of winter are with us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Are we preparing ourselves during all seasons for those harsh spiritual winters when life goes haywire, when illness and sorry lash out at us? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This summer has seen devastating bush fires even here in our beautiful island and devastating floods in several parts elsewhere in Australia. The questions are now being asked like: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">“Was enough hazard reduction burning done throughout the forests here to make controlling fires possible?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">“Were the huge dams and water systems administered correctly to minimise flooding.” Were houses in bushland and flood prone areas adequately warned and prepared?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I want to ask the question, “When life is going well, when all is pleasant, enjoyable and satisfying, are we still preparing our hearts and faith for those very tough seasons we all have to face from time to time – those wintery seasons<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in our live? No matter how much we may love God, we all have these seasons to some degree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">How do we prepare? My only answer is to make sure we do not neglect the building up of our faith. In my devotional time this morning I was reminded that Jesus Christ is the Living Bread. Only He can satisfy our spiritual hunger through the Living Word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But am I feeding my spiritual life day by day even as I nourish my physical life day by day with regular, healthy eating and exercise?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">During the pleasant, easy seasons, sometimes life becomes so full of “doing” life, it is far too easy to neglect each day my spiritual food. My physical body is neglected if only occasionally I enjoy a feast instead of a sensible, daily diet. This applies the same to my spiritual health. I need to feed on the Living Bread through His Living Word. It means regular, disciplined time with my Lord in prayer, delving into the scriptures alone as well as in the fellowship of other believers so that together we can encourage each other to prepare for those harsh, winter days. To ride triumphant through those seasons, our faith needs to be strong. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Sure, in those tough times we naturally turn more and more to the Lord, and if our spiritual beings are healthy it is easier to do just. We then realise that it is during those winter seasons we discover anew His faithfulness and our faith grows even stronger. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-63819214167630482182013-03-06T23:15:00.001+11:002013-03-06T23:15:46.606+11:00Blog tour: Tangled Secrets <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFm_SAQ9RSasPycJCOCJTJ6qsKpAfqJ3QZGyx8gjH0Qd12GutGJv6gWti60GAgbxkGS5n6DKUIrK5-aNY60Ew6umXXkjb6I9ytqNZDEYtPwX5WQE-D4-I2kTh8e4IL-GzfxMS-0qgPcw/s1600/Mary%252520%2526%252520Ray%25252007%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" jsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFm_SAQ9RSasPycJCOCJTJ6qsKpAfqJ3QZGyx8gjH0Qd12GutGJv6gWti60GAgbxkGS5n6DKUIrK5-aNY60Ew6umXXkjb6I9ytqNZDEYtPwX5WQE-D4-I2kTh8e4IL-GzfxMS-0qgPcw/s200/Mary%252520%2526%252520Ray%25252007%255B1%255D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ray is away a few days so couldn't resist using this photo this evening. Being married for over 48 years and celebrating the anniversary this month of our meeting the first time 50 years ago means we miss each other more and more when apart these days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Several folk recently have told me they are waiting for my next book and asked when it will be available. Sadly, as I've shared here before and elsewhere, I am still working on the first draft. Progress so far has been slow but after doing heaps and heaps of rewriting, the ideas and paragraphs are slowly startingto flow again. Stay tuned!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">And one of the ways I procrastinate when those words won't come is to read. I recently managed to finish reading the novel on the ACRBA schedule for March. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">And here it is:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQV-55bgw8n-ov3SFIwco2XJ8d5wJ7-xhl24I1vMWwZXSVlr7YPAdwBapKCVc4ZMzYx-z-aByGUEWG_o31DtKbVC0jViUNxrvcFxnH9BndlwCA5LXY2LxDn6CH-gSP9KgWHlVdLlPylyM/s1600/acrba+button1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQV-55bgw8n-ov3SFIwco2XJ8d5wJ7-xhl24I1vMWwZXSVlr7YPAdwBapKCVc4ZMzYx-z-aByGUEWG_o31DtKbVC0jViUNxrvcFxnH9BndlwCA5LXY2LxDn6CH-gSP9KgWHlVdLlPylyM/s1600/acrba+button1.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 - 8 March</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://acrba.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance</span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is introducing</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.koorong.com/search/product/turnts-3-tangled-secrets-series-turning-the-tide/9781922074317.jhtml" target="_blank">Tangled Secrets</a> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Even Before Publishing Sept 2012)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carol Preston </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tangled-Secrets-ebook/dp/B008PBREVY/ref=tmm_kin_title_0" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Available at Amazon for $1.99 for the month of March</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the Author</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyylaH4eBs2CBUHflr0wlfMcBxX3uvRuoCwc7QfAnu2MIhFarK40uWwRSiralVOOePl8ncsxSFOZUTtYxxr6LpUAIe6zegLh8F0nBhDO3qQRQpdfmZL-UA5MZPu3OwSfkd-Qt2Hathkpo/s1600/carol-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyylaH4eBs2CBUHflr0wlfMcBxX3uvRuoCwc7QfAnu2MIhFarK40uWwRSiralVOOePl8ncsxSFOZUTtYxxr6LpUAIe6zegLh8F0nBhDO3qQRQpdfmZL-UA5MZPu3OwSfkd-Qt2Hathkpo/s1600/carol-photo.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Carol lives in Wollongong, NSW with her husband, Neil. As well as writing novels based on her family history, Carol has a private counselling practice and enjoys reading, gardening, spending time with her four grandchildren and bushwalking. She has pursued with great admiration the lives of her ancestors in Australia and has greatly enjoyed writing novels based on their stories and the inspiring history of the Australian people. For more information about Carol's books and her other interests she can be contacted on her website: www.carolpreston.com.au</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">About the book</span></span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdYytKjesAkUhZQzRtJUbOnGahpOr7dmLt_JPgksGrbsTnC_JH7lJCtViC1g_iXTM2QXLrPnUgCdKv1cg-R0pw4Sdiamfmi57X7dWPqOzmjpaOvTZ90x-eBbQEF0Zmmrv0lkLs97lMcY/s1600/tangledsecretssmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdYytKjesAkUhZQzRtJUbOnGahpOr7dmLt_JPgksGrbsTnC_JH7lJCtViC1g_iXTM2QXLrPnUgCdKv1cg-R0pw4Sdiamfmi57X7dWPqOzmjpaOvTZ90x-eBbQEF0Zmmrv0lkLs97lMcY/s1600/tangledsecretssmall.jpg" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">In tragic circumstances Beth and her brothers are left in England to grow up without their parents. When Beth's childhood dream to be reunited with her father in Australia finally eventuates she finds that dreams do not always come true.The reality she faces is a tangled web of disappointment, deceit and mistakes. Further abandonment follows. Will she ever find true love? And will she discover she doesn't have to be alone before it is too late?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Set in the early colonial days of New South Wales and based on real characters in the mid 1800s.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Revisit Charlotte and Thomas from <em>Charlotte's Angel</em> and <em>Mary's Guardian</em>, and meet new characters in this new novel by Carol Preston. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Mary's Guardian was a finalist in the fiction section of CALEB 2011.</span></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">More thoughts from Mary:</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I love being able to read Christian historical books set in Australia and am delighted more are now being released. It was a delight to be able to buy this book at the Word Writers Fair in Queensland last year but unfortunately did not read it until.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Having read <em>Charlotte's Angel</em> and <em>Mary's Guardian</em> I did enjoy seeing characters again from those books and read more of their journeys over the years. Although all of the books are "Stand Alone" stories I think readers would enjoy this book that little bit more if they first read those books. Having said that, I have to say I enjoyed this book even more than the others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This story continues showing some of the heartaches of convicts and the affect on their families over the years. It also reminds us that wrong choices to try and correct wrong mistakes should never be made. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The biggest problem I had with this story is that I thought it finished too abruptly. I immediately wanted to know "what happens next" and am happy to know the story of Philip and Beth will be continued in Carol's next book, <em>Truly Free</em>. </span></div>Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-80597853178352227132013-02-22T15:23:00.001+11:002013-02-22T15:23:12.496+11:00Soul Friend<div style="text-align: center;">
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Jo-Anne Berthelsen and I met many years ago but it has only been since we have both become published authors we have really started to get to know each other and become friends. </div>
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I have enjoyed all Jo-Anne's Christian novels and it is a real privilege to feature her latest book, "Soul Friend." Although these days I personally read more fiction than non-fiction, this book is a compelling read. Jo-Anne shares from her heart with us the journey her mentor and "soul friend" has walked with her. She tells of her early struggles as she first of all prepares for ministry then some of the many challenges and decisions those in Christian ministry may face as well as her career as a published author. </div>
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This is a very challenging book and shows so very clearly how our Lord would love His children to share His love and Word with each other, support each other, not only in prayer, and showing real love toward each other but in many and varied practical ways. The last chapter, "Passing the Baton" reminded me that as we ouselves are blessed by another, we have a responsibility when opportunities come to share with others what God has been teaching us over the years about Himself and the journey HE wants to take us on with others.</div>
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This is not a book to be read in one sitting. I found I had to ponder, meditate, pray over various sections and try to apply them to the journey I am on with my Lord. Do read the following information about this book and the author. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">18 - 22 February 2013</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://acrba.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance</a> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.koorong.com/search/product/soul-friend-jo-anne-berthelsen/9781922074492.jhtml" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Soul Friend: The Story of a shared Spiritual Journey</span></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(Even Before Publishing October 2012)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">By </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Jo-Anne Berthelsen</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.lightthedark.com.au/dev/index.php/nonfiction/memoir-biography/soul-friend.html">Available at Light the Dark for $16.95</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Soul Friend is an honest and intimate portrayal of the author's own journey with her wise, spiritual mentor and the warm, life-giving relationship that developed between them during their fifteen years of meeting together. This story is written in the hope that it will inspire many not only to seek out such a spiritual friendship for themselves but also to provide such a friendship for another.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Beautifully written, this honest and insightful memoir is an inspiring celebration of the ancient art of spiritual companionship. Dr Rick Lewis</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Soul friendship is a very under-emphasised resource of Christian discipleship, particularly for Christian leaders. Jo-Anne has written honestly, beautifully, sensitively and powerfully. Dr Keith Farmer</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">About the Author</span></b></div>
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<img alt="3975230" height="300" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/ausjenny/54213221/1648/1648_original.jpg" style="float: left;" title="3975230" width="200" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Jo-Anne Berthelsen <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lives in Sydney but </span>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 loves communicating through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of five published novels <i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">– Heléna, All the Days of My Life</i>, <i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Laura</i>, <i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jenna</i> and<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Heléna’s Legacy</i>, with a sixth, <i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Inheritance</i>, due for release in 2013. Her first non-fiction work <a href="http://www.evenbeforepublishing.com/index.php/our-books/christian-living-books/15-soul-friend" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #0088cc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Soul Friend: The story of a shared spiritual journey </i></a>was released in October 2012. Jo-Anne loves music, reading, mentoring younger women, and sharing with community groups about writing. She is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and three grandchildren.</span></div>
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Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-21756529444636792462013-02-09T21:45:00.001+11:002013-02-09T21:45:42.701+11:00Four Writers Collaborate and write The Greenfield LegacyIt is a privilege to be a member of the ACRBA. This new novel written by four of my favourite Australian writers is a new concept and yet the story flows so well with each character well defined. Although there are a few slang words that some readers may find a little difficult to cope with, it was a real page turner for me.<br />
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I highly recommend this book. IT IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN E-BOOK<br />
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4 - 8 February, 2013</div>
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<a href="http://acrba.blogspot.com/" style="color: #669933; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance</span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #669933; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.koorong.com/search/product/greenfield-legacy-the-meredith-resce-rose-dee-paula/9781922074430.jhtml" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Greenfield Legacy</span></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rose Dee, Amanda Deed, Meredith Resce and Paula Vince</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #669933; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Available from <a href="http://www.evenbeforepublishing.com/index.php/our-books/fiction-books/56-the-greenfield-legacy" target="_blank">Light the Dark</a> With a contest which ends</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #669933; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">14 February 2013. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">About the Book:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mattie was in love with Billy, but she was too young to wed. When Billy was conscripted to fight in Vietnam, they made a decision that affected their lives and their future. But so much pain resulted that Mattie never really healed. Every turn Mattie made affected her daughter and her granddaughter in ways she didn't even realise. But forty-six years later, is it time for things to be set right?<br /><br />Navy is a young woman who has never known her family. But what could be a wonderful opportunity is met with jealousy and apprehension from her cousin Brooke and her aunt Connie, especially with handsome Aidan around. Each must look past their struggles and find forgiveness and trust and perhaps even love.<br /><br />This absorbing family drama, set in South Australia's beautiful McLaren Vale wine region, is written by four of Australia's outstanding Christian fiction authors who have brought you best-selling and award-winning novels.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Award winning Australian author, PAULA VINCE, loves to evoke tears and laughter through writing fiction. She has a passion to provide inspiring stories that highlight her own beautiful country.<a href="http://www.appleleafbooks.com/" style="color: #cc0000; text-decoration: none;">http://www.appleleafbooks.com</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ROSE DEE was born in Ingham, North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel. Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, decided to try her hand at writing two years ago. The result of that attempt is 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 resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle. <a href="http://rosedee.com/" style="color: #cc0000; text-decoration: none;">http://rosedee.com</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">AMANDA DEED grew up in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne in a Christian home, and found faith at an early age. She has followed her passion to serve the Lord through music and literature since her teen years. Now married, with three children, Amanda enjoys the variety of being a mother, finance administrator, musician and historical romance writer. Her debut novel, The Game, won the 2010 CALEB Prize for fiction, and Ellenvale Gold was a finalist for the same prize in 2012.<a href="http://www.amandadeed.com.au/" style="color: #cc0000; text-decoration: none;">http://www.amandadeed.com.au</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">South Australian Author, MEREDITH RESCE, has been writing since 1991, and has had books in the Australian market since 1997. Following the Australian success of her “Heart of Green Valley” series, an English Publisher has taken the first three books in this series, and has released them to the British and American markets. ‘The Greenfield Legacy’ is her 15th novel published. Apart from writing, Meredith also takes the opportunity to speak to groups on issues relevant to relationships and emotional and spiritual growth. Meredith has also been co-writer and co-producer in the 2007 feature film production, “Twin Rivers”. With her husband, Nick, Meredith has worked in the ministry since 1983. Meredith and Nick have one daughter and two sons.</span></div>
Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-87139350942868032282013-01-31T18:34:00.000+11:002013-02-06T09:54:38.919+11:00The Story Behind The Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is another very special day in my writing journey. Book One in my <em>Great Southland series</em> is an e-book and available now for download on American websites like Amazon and christianbook.com!<br />
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When I wrote <em>Faith in the Great Southland</em>, I never dreamt that one day it would not only be a paperback, included with the next three books in a four-in-one volume Barbour called <em>Australian Outback</em> but also become my first e-book released this very day on American websites.<br />
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It makes me look back over 13 years now to that time I first started writing <em>Faith in the Great Southland</em> for the Heartsong Presents inspirational romance book club. It was a few words on a very rare phone call to the Barbour editor in Ohio to even make me consider writing an historical book.<br />
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I can’t even remember now why I had to ring him that time in the mid-‘90s – something authors should never really do to busy editors. He had already given me contracts for five contemporary manuscripts with Barbour. What I do remember is for some reason he mentioned he was receiving only one historical to five contemporary manuscripts. This could be a potential problem as two contemporary and two historical Heartsong Present novels were released every month.<br />
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Without thinking, I said jokingly something like, “Perhaps I should try writing one” – something that had never entered my mind before. To my utter astonishment I received a letter from him offering me a contract on a proposal. At that particular stage I was writing still for Harlequin Mills and Boon medical romance line and trying to finish my third contemporary book in my <em>Search series</em>. I still think I was wise to refuse that offer and replied,”...I think I would like to see how I go on a new area of writing first. I may take you up on that offer later if it still holds.”<br />
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I followed that by mentioning some ideas about setting the historical in South Australia and included, “No convicts were sent to Adelaide...” Well that brought the response that being an Australian historical readers would expect convicts! What I already knew about the early history of South Australia from my two family association published books was not enough. When I eventually was able to start serious preparation for the manuscript, this meant I had to do far more research of the state of convicts here in the mid-nineteenth century. This time period was important because I wanted to include information from my own family’s ancestors who arrived in South Australia in 1938. Convict transportation to the eastern states had already ceased.<br />
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While I thoroughly enjoyed writing <em>Faith in the Great Southland</em>, it took me much longer to write than any other manuscript until then. I discovered non-fiction historical books were just too fascinating and needed to discipline myself too many times to stop reading them and write my own novel. Trying to include sufficient, accurate historical background as well as faith elements and romance was also a greater challenge than for my contemporaries. Need I mention the fourth in this series, <em>Great Southland Gold</em> to date has been my last smaller manuscript? I have been told by Truly Yours Digital Edition that my other Great Southland books will also be released as e-books in the next six months or so.<br />
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But how I wrote my current Baragula series manuscripts which are twice as long as the ones for Heartsong Presents is another “story behind the story”.<br />
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It would be wonderful to hear from anyone who has downloaded this e-book edition.Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203846063679523476.post-40552619196662420542013-01-16T12:14:00.001+11:002013-01-16T12:18:47.132+11:00FAITH WITH CREATIVE HEARTS AND HANDS <span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I’ve just had the delight again of spending a week at the Poatina Faith and Arts programme. Click </span><a href="http://www.poatinaarts.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> to read about the programme offered. There were seven different electives this year. For the second time I was privileged to be the leader for the Creative Writing - Fiction elective. About eighty very creative folk of all ages shared a very busy programme. As well as several hours each day in our chosen elective, there were very special worship, teaching and personal sharing times as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The village of Poatina has a very interesting history. It began in 1950 as the accommodation site for the workers on the hydro-electricity projects many years ago. When it was no longer needed the whole village was eventually sold to the Christian organisation, Fusion Australia, in 1995. Do check out all about it by clicking </span><a href="http://poatina.fusion.org.au/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This was my view of the Western Mountain Tiers from my bedroom window this year. It was unusually hot for the first few days and the smoke haze from fires to the south and north of us almost hid the mountains. Thankfully there were none of the ferocious fires in our immediate area that caused such devastation in other parts of Tasmania. However, then one day it even snowed not that far from us and the wind had the bite of winter once more - but that is Tasmanian weather!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Music elective lead us in a special worship song </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">they had been developing in their elective. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Usually we had guitars, saxophone, drums </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">and great freedom in worship "styles".</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Three of the glass furnaces inside the new Arts centre building. </span> <span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">We enjoyed a glass blowing demonstration </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">during one session and a tour </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">of the rest of the huge building still under construction for various other expressions of art.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Two writers pause for the camera</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Later we </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">organise the group photo</span></td></tr>
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Will I go again next year? Most certainly if I am able to - and there is need once more for this elective. A week away in early January may not always be possible. All this fabulous week is done by volunteers - who still need to help pay for their accommodation and food. This year <a href="http://www.omegawriters.com/" target="_blank">Omega Writers</a> were able to sponsor me with a donation of money which was really tremendous!</div>
Mary Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.com2