The Story Behind The Story

This is another very special day in my writing journey. Book One in my Great Southland series is an e-book and available now for download on American websites like Amazon and christianbook.com!

When I wrote Faith in the Great Southland, 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 Australian Outback but also become my first e-book released this very day on American websites.

It makes me look back over 13 years now to that time I first started writing Faith in the Great Southland 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.

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.

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 Search series. 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.”

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.

While I thoroughly enjoyed writing Faith in the Great Southland, 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, Great Southland Gold 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.

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”.

It would be wonderful to hear from anyone who has downloaded this e-book edition.

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

5 - 9 November

is introducing 

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance 

Return to Baragula

(Ark House Press March 2008)

by Mary Hawkins

About the Author:

Mary Hawkins is a best-selling inspirational romance author with other 825,000 romance books in print. During the first few years of being published she also had five medical romance novels released by Harlequin Mills & Boon before concentrating on inspirationals for Barbour Publishing (Ohio). Return to Baragula is her first single title and the first released by an Australia publisher.

Mary was a Queensland farmer's daughter, became a registered nurse and has a graduate diploma from a Sydney Bible College where she met her husband. Ray is a retired minister who is also a published author. They enjoyed ministries in Australia, three short term mission trips to Africa and two years at a church in England before settling in beautiful Tasmania. They have three adult children and are now proud grandparents. Mary is a member of several writing organisations including American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of Australia, Romance Writers America, their Faith Hope Love chapter and Australian Omega Writers. She enjoys speaking appointments and writing workshops where she can share the journey she has been walking for many years with her Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

www.mary-hawkins.com

Book Description:

Return To Baragula

Over the years Emily Parker's actions as a teenager have impacted not only her own life, but the lives of many different people.

Now, six years later, she returns reluctantly to her home town of Baragula only to discover the man at the heart of those actions, Matthew Davidson, is the community's respected doctor.

While Emily's faith is now severely weakened by all that has happened, Matthew's life has completely turned around since he committed his life to Christ. His personal relationship with God is tested when he discovers how his behaviour when a non-believer hurt so many, especially Emily, and feels responsible for her hardness of heart towards the Lord.

Disease attacks the community while danger from another source threatens Emily and her family. Through it all, will Matthew and Emily's faith be strong enough to forgive each other and put the past behind them?

From Mary:
Thank you so much to Jenny Blake and Narelle Atkins for starting this blog alliance. I am so very privileged to be the first author to be featured in this way.
Do click on the blog name above to go to the ACRBA site for information about future events. Naturally, I am very interested in all the blogs including this information about my first book in my Baragula series.

To E-Book Or Not To E-Book?

I don’t even own an e-reader – at least not yet, but I  feel as though I am being dragged into the era of having my back list of books released as e-books. I’m not even sure if that is how to correctly write the word. Are they E-books, e-Books, eBooks, E-Books or just e-books.? HC stands for hard cover books, PB stands for paperback books, so does EB now stand for ebooks? Please correct me if I’m wrong.  Just one  more basic thing to learn about them!

Last Monday I enjoyed very much the guest speaker, T.D. McKinnon,  http://www.tdmckinnon.com from Victoria at our monthly Society Women Writers Tasmania.  He writes across several genres and now has his books as e-books. However this is really the first time I have heard a writer share details about self-publishing e-books and what he and his wife have discovered about it all.

The last couple of years I have been trying to follow what is happening around the world of publishing with the e-book phenomena. I know many published authors are now having their back lists released as e-books. I was delighted earlier this year to be able to sign addendums to the contracts with Barbour Publishing for my old Heartsong Presents inspirational romance titles to be released as e-books through their new Truly Yours division.

Some authors have had the copyright on their old books revert back to them so they can then self-publish as e-books. My last title, Justice at Baragula was released by the publisher as an e-book but recently heard it seems they are not going to continue with releasing the first two Baragula books as e-books. For some time now I have been thinking seriously about my other titles, both those novels and even perhaps short stories written years ago.  The biggest problem is discovering just how to go about it all!

Ray’s three 31 Day Devotional books are available as print and e-books. He has another one, Bethlehem’s Warrior Baby due for release later this year from Even Before Publishing.

Buying that e-book reader – or putting it on our Christmas gift list if we can wait that long – is becoming more urgent!           

Would love to have both authors and readers share about their experiences with e-books –and e-readers of course.

RAY ON MONDAY - Whether We Like It Or Not

God is getting bad press, again! He rules in heaven but earthlings delight in expressing their independence of Him. When their plans go wrong, God is at fault. When a debate arises about qualifying for entrance into glory God seems to be expected to defend His standard. Why? Because it discriminates against personal assessments of their perfection! God is unfair, unjust, unloving, unkind to exclude anyone from Heaven.

It’s interesting that so many demand the right to independent action even when it is contrary to a set standard of God’s revealed word. Complaints stream from their mouths when things go wrong and consequences roll over them. When you explain that God’s standards would have prevented such repercussions they object. Why? God is seen as a ‘party pooper.’

If God imposed His will over us, He would be viewed as a tyrant. If He lets us have free range He is fun, until we crash. Then the Lord is uncaring. When He offers us a choice of destinies and the one chosen leads to an eternal sadness, we criticise Him for having two roads. Sometimes when our choice leads to an eternal joy the human heart can too often think they have earned it.

Whether we like it or not we have the right of choices. We do not however have power over the consequences. There are many illustrations dealing with choices in the Bible. Perhaps the best is Matthew 7:13-14. There is the Broadway and the Narrow way. The former is rejection of and indifference to Christ Jesus, the cross and Godly living. The fun offered at the beginning becomes despair and poison along the way to destruction. The narrow way appears stark and demanding, yet opens up to the traveller meaning, hope, joy and the companionship of the Lord God.

One day we will all appear before Heaven’s Judge, whether we like it or not. The decision He makes about each person’s destiny is easy. It will depend upon the road each has travelled, whether we like it or not.

How do you cross from the Broadway to the Narrow way? It is only possible by calling out to Jesus Christ to pull you out and place you in the acceptable way. This is a Faith issue whereby you make Him Lord and Saviour of your life and destiny. That is why Jesus is called ‘The Way, the Truth and the Life.’ He is the way to the Father’s presence. John 14:6.

Ray (on the narrow way) Hawkins.

Ray's three books of his 31 Day Devotional series, as illustrated on the right, are available at Christian bookshops - especially in Australia and New Zealand - as print books and also as E-books. (Captured By Calvary still to become available on Kindle, but all three on Koorong (Australia) and Word Australia websites.)
 All our books can be purchased from our website using PayPal. 
Cost: Ray's books are AUD$10 each and the Baragula books AUD$20 each - plus postage of course. Click here for our website and email us for more information

WHEN WRITING IS HARD

I think all writers have “hard” times of writing when the words, ideas, just will not come or flow properly. I certainly do!

It is now many years ago since that day I was whinging to my teenage daughter about needing “something to “happen” in another manuscript. She said, “For goodness sake, Mum, get a gun and shoot someone!” Well, for that story, Burnout, I did get the gun and had a fun scene with some drunken hooligans doing some target shooting enough to traumatise my heroine already traumatised by guerillas in Africa. Then of course there is that old kangaroo shooter and the shoot out with “baddies” in the Baragula books.

I have always admired writers who somehow manage to work on more than one fiction manuscript at a time. It has always seemed that my brain can only deal adequately with the one set of characters and their story.

Depending on how much of the manuscript I have written before an interruption so I have to switch gears, I have even found it difficult to get back into the story when the current manuscript has been interrupted for many hours, days, weeks, by other demands on my “writing brain”. These include such things as requests for a rewrite from an editor on another story, or even having to again read through a manuscript in the proof editing stage. It seems once I have to become immersed again in another story the uncompleted one is so very hard to pick up and continue writing.

And of course, there are more than these two interruptions that disrupt my writing a manuscript but the following will do for today.

After having successfully sold my Harlequin medical romances and Heartsong Present books, I ventured into writing single title manuscripts. When my first one was completed, I started again going through that realm all writers hate - submitting and receiving rejections again. Of course, this meant the same manuscript was rewritten and rewritten and rewritten.

Not wanting to repeat the mistake I made over thirteen years of rejections on my first ever manuscript, I decided to start writing another book rather than wait until I had sold Return to Baragula. An idea had been brewing for awhile and I always toss story ideas into a folder. So, the setting, the story, and characters were chosen and at last I started writing Her Outback Cowboy. Then the major interruption came.

At last I had signed a contract for Return to Baragula. Very exciting. However, during the rewriting and working on that story, as had happened with my Heartsong books minor characters started to demand their own story be told. Now that at last a publisher was going to release Book One , the next two in that Baragula series had to be written. Poor Her Outback Cowboy had to be put aside – until recently after the launch of Justice at Baragula.

Other interruptions have come while trying to get back into the heads of these new main characters, Jenny and Dave. Er... sorry, make that Jennifer and David! Now I have written well over 40,000 words written of what will probably be about 85,000 – 90,000 words of their story but this last week or so just seem to be stuck for “what happens next”.

I didn’t like the prologue I had written a few years ago so am trying to weave the same information into the story elswewhere for the reader. I am beginning to think I have not researched the setting enough, the possible physical and spiritual conflicts enough.

And... Horrors! Not enough has “happened”. Where is the action? Is it boring?

And what am I doing right now?

Well, besides probably too much reading of other writer’s books, I find all kinds of things that just have to be done around the place. And of course, the writing at this section of the story I’m at right now is so hard, I’m procrastinating by writing a blog post about how hard it is to get into Her Outback Cowboy again by writing about how hard it is sometimes to work on an old manuscript again.

On second thoughts...
Perhaps I do need to “get a gun” into this manuscript! But being another inspirational romance, the hero or heroine mustn’t shoot at each other of course.

But what if... ? Nah, that won’t work. Had stolen cattle in Outback From Baragula.

What about a flood? Nah, had that in Return to Baragula.

Maybe the jealous neighbour from the closest homestead hundreds of kilometres away turns up again? Mmm...
It will probably just have to be that gun once more!

Writers getting it “right.”



Not Qld but western New South Wales
paddocks of Paterson's Curse weeds.
Click on photo to see enlarged.


So, here I am, back trying to finish that half-finished manuscript I started a few years ago before I received a contract for Return to Baragula. I stopped writing this one to concentrate on writing the next two books in the Baragula series.

And have I been busy rewriting and editing that first draft, including trying to get the setting of fictitious Lomond Downs right!

When I wrote Outback from Baragula, I set Davidson Downs in a part of New South Wales I had actually never visited before. Thankfully I had a good friend who did know the general area, even had photos she shared with me.

This time I am setting most of the story of Her Outback Cowboy on a property south-west of Longreach in Central Queensland. This is another part of Australia I have never been able to visit. I have always understood this area is called the Channel Country where many small rivers and creeks are really nothing more than just that, channels rather than rivers. I mentioned to a couple of people this manuscript was set in the “Channel Country” only to be told they both individually thought the area called this was set in northern Queensland. So, back to doing research again in an effort “to get it right!”

I am wondering what other writers find about their unfinished manuscripts. Have I really changed myself so much that I now see unbelievable flaws and editing needed, including those weasel words? Yes, including that word “that”!

Oh, and both men were wrong about where the Channel country is.

Or are they? Would love to hear from anyone who has driven down the road from Longreach on the map called Thompson Developement Road! Do leave a comment here with your email so I can ask you heaps of questions. Or email me at mary@mary-hawkins.com

Writer’s Interruptions

Just how does a busy person settle down to writing a novel?

Usually with great difficulty!

I’ve read many writer’s comments about this. It is certainly true that family members seem to be more helpful and thoughtful about interrupting a writer deep in “the throes” once that writer has been published. It seems that suddenly even the most sceptical family and friends then suddenly realise, “Hey, she is actually ‘working those times she refuses to be interrupted for trivial reasons.”

On the whole over the years, I have been very blessed by understanding friends and family–and also church members when their minister’s wife had to apologise for not being able to pop over anymore for a quick visit, even at times offer that cuppa to someone who arrived at her own door at the “wrong” time.

Okay, so what happens these days now I am trying to work on my nineteenth manuscript? To clarify: you may have noticed I have nineteen titles released but two of those, Australia and Australian Outback (both Barbour books and currently out of print) are collections of previously novels released individually. I also have one finished manuscript still not published that needs to be re-worked also. Groan!

This manuscript, tentatively titled Her Outback Cowboy, I commenced some years ago while I was trying to sell and rewrite Return to Baragula. After it was contracted I concentrated on writing the other two books in the Baragula series but now I’m back rewriting that manuscript which was only about one-third written.

And I have to confess there have been a few attempts to get back into that story, the heads and hearts of my characters. Why? Interruptions of course-and not often these days other people to blame, just myself.

These days I am on far too many writer’s email loops of writing organisations. These days there are blogs to write, internet networking, promotion to organise for my current books like some I have mentioned last week and in previous blogs.

But having told you all these, I have to confess the biggest cause of interrupting my writing time is basically one reason – my own lack of self-discipline. Long before I became “a writer” I was a book worm. That still hasn’t changed but it takes an effort to put down that “un-put-down-able-book” by another author! It takes real efforts of self-discipline to sort out my priorities and then stick to them!

This year has been rather horrific for getting any writing done. With a new book released last May there have been two book launches, four book-signings and all kinds of promotion through media and the internet to organise. These involved travelling time as well and now I am starting to realise perhaps I need another lap-top computer for those times. (Are you listening, Santa?)

And I am discovering more and more I seem to have less discipline about letting gorgeous grandchildren distract me than ever our own lovely children did! But they are a big priority because I know only too well how soon those precious little ones will grow and we will not have the same opportunities to be with them as they become more independent of parents and grandparents.

Last week I mentioned the time spent on the phone trying to sort out an insurance claim on damage to the hire car and that lost camera. Today the claim was granted and a few hours ago our camera was found! I sure have been praying about them and just so thankful tonight.

And so, I’ve also now spent writing time on photos from our trip to Queensland, The Word Writers Fair, Family and nostalgic memories.

Here are a few this week and I’ll try and include more in weeks to come. Just click on the photos and they should become larger.




 
Ray & Mary with CALEB certificates
Ray was short-listed in the Devotional category for
Children: God's Special Interest.

             


CALEB Fiction category finalists
Paula Vince wins for Best Forgotten



CALEB Unpublished manuscript finalists
and Jo Wanmer, my 2010 mentoree wins!





2011 Friday Intensive Workshop and Mary cracks the whip - or tries to with four more writers she attempts to mentor!

All the very best to all four of you!




And so The Word Writers Fair is over for another year. Another wonderful "Face to Face" time of fellowship with other writers. And no way can this event be called an "interruption."
It is more like a bull-dozer pushing me to settle down - AND SIMPLY WRITE MY NEXT BOOK!

Book signings and Hotel Rooms

I really was going to tell you about our book-signing in Hobart last Friday, but simply have to include Ray's take on sharing the accomodation with...well, me of course!
But first, the book-signing.

It is about a three hour drive south to Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania, but as always Ray and I enjoyed the drive despite the very cold day. We arrived there on Thursday evening and the next night after the book-signing, it even snowed on Mt Wellington which looms over this beautiful city on the shores of the wide Derwent River. We did not really enjoy the cold winds off that mountain though and were glad we had a cosy hotel room in the city centre - but more of that later!

Robyn, the manager of Koorong and her capable assistant, Amy, looked after us very well and I think they would have been happy enough with the number of folk who bought our books. The book trailers for my three Baragula books were playing on their TV in the shop and of course we had some goodies for customers to nibble on. Ray and I were delighted to have friends from the area call in and especially one couple, Harold and Jill, originally from Sydney we had not seen for many years.

But I think that might be enough about the book-signing but I do want to share Ray's rather cheeky thoughts on our accomodation  - and his wife - while away from home. He has called it:-

                                Motel and Hotel Rooms Test Relationships

Most motels Mary and I use only have one room with the necessary little room. They are usually neat, tidy and provide coffee or tea and if you are lucky, a couple of biscuits. However, there isn’t any escape for you, especially in the evenings and in unpleasant weather when you lose control of the channel changer.

What can you do when your wife wants to watch a soap opera or serial far beneath your acceptance level (especially when you want to watch the sport or cartoons). You can retire to a chair and read but how can you concentrate on the word puzzle with all the T.V. racket blaring out?

Night comes and bed calls but one of you reads before sleep and rises later than the other. How can you boil water without waking the sleeping hunk or cutie so as to cope with the sunrise?

All these traps to a healthy, happy relationship never seem to be mentioned in pre-marriage manuals or counselling sessions. If unresolved before the car starts up for the next leg of the journey it may well cause a chill in the car even on a blistering hot day.

The little room in the motel does offer some respite, but even there you can be disturbed. The answer may be ear plugs and eye patches. Better still mutual grace and compromise creates a warmth far better than any electric blanket. I’d like to adapt the words of Amos 3:3 to suit this blog. Can two endure a motel room unless they are kind to each other.

I have to admit, Mary and I have shared many a hotel room over the years and rarely has there been a chill in the car the next day. She’s nice! (And anyway there was the little room for me to do the word puzzle.)

Ray, writing from the little room.

Well, I did warn you he was being cheeky, but I hope it has given you a smile as it did me - I promise!

On the Sunday, Ray was the preacher at a church at a town called Sorell, east of Hobart. Most of you know that Tasmania was originally settled as a convict settlement and has many interesting historical places. The photos of our room in this town were taken in a cottage part of Sorell Barracks that go back to 1827. Couldn't resist the photos, but it was Ray's turn to utter those interesting but sleep depriving sounds during the night. Mmm...he was nice about it though!

You can see we do have a lot of fun together - including book-signings and hotel rooms!.

YouTube book trailer, my first e-book and other new book events

Ever curious about what published authors are doing when their latest book is released - besides trembling with nerves and excitement of course? Well, perhaps I should make that the weeks and months before the book is released as well as those days and weeks once the book is on the way at long last to readers.

Months ago when my publisher, Ark House Press, told me the month Justice at Baragula would be released, the action commenced. Emails started going out to my family, friends, acquaintances and to the six – no, make that seven counting Tasmania Writers Centre – organisations I am a member of. Then of course there was my networking on the internet, including Facebook, this blog and also the International Christian Fiction Writers blog I contribute to. No, I haven’t yielded to Twitter!

Then we heard that my husband’s two books were to be released the same month as mine. Action Stations! As mentioned before here, we organised those two book launches. Emails flew to and fro organising those special events. Then of course there was advertising to do in any way we could through our Christian contacts in Melbourne and also in Tasmania. We have had radio interviews and our first book-signing with another booked for July in Hobart – more about that later.

Now, during all that activity, as I had for the first two Baragula books I emailed Misty Taggart at Trailer To The Stars to have a video book trailer produced for this third Baragula book. When the time came for her to make the trailer her husband was very ill in hospital and our son who was to do the voice over became extremely busy becoming “Mr Darcy” in a theatre production of Pride and Prejudice. The trailer was completed several days ago now but this is my first chance to let you know about it! I am also in the throes of copying all three Baragula book trailers to DVDs to be able to give to bookshops who are willing to use them in their stores.

The other exciting news is that Justice at Baragula is now available as an e-book from two major Christian Bookshop outlets, Koorong and Word. My publisher is also endeavouring to soon have it available at Amazon for their Kindle.

And so, what else should a writer be doing at this time? Writing her next book! And that is what I am finding very difficult to settle down to now. Somehow I have to make the time to finish Her Outback Cowboy.

Do have a listen to this latest book trailer on YouTube for Justice at Baragula. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnGljXFxzLg

And please leave a comment here to let me know what you think of it – and the other two for Return to Baragula and Outback From Baragula on YouTube also if you have not seen them before this.

And now it is nearly bed-time so that manuscript will have to wait - again. Oh, but I should mention I am at last able to see the top of this desk after a clean-up today. Mmm... Wonder what else I'll find to do tomorrow instead of writing that manuscript

RAY'S MONDAY: When is a launch not a small boat?

Sounds strange to call a book event ‘a launch’. In our minds the word may conjure up images of sleek, fast moving motor type boats. However Mary and I had a book launch without slipways and the smashing of a bottle over the keel. (A pagan offering to the sea god anyway.)

Children: God’s Special Interest, my first 31 Day Devotional, was introduced by Pastor Craig Spaulding, associate minister at the Door of Hope. He commented on how relevant the devotions were in our present moral climate of either ignoring or exploiting children. He recommended people read them to understand God’s heart for the young.

From Eden with Love is a 31 Day Devotional on the Biblical presentation of Marriage. The speaker introducing it was Mark Brown, Tasmanian Director for Australian Christian Lobby . He pointed out the easy understandable and uplifting daily readings on this important theme is especially valid in today’s confused thinking about Marriage.

As well as other pertinent comments, in response I mentioned that all royalties from these books go to two Christian enterprises. One is the Churches of Christ Children’s Home in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The other goes to Australian Christian Lobby - and you don’t have to think hard as to which goes where.

Mary’s latest and final (mmm... or is it? She hinted there was another idea bubbling about another minor character!) in the Baragula series, Justice at Baragula was last but not least to be launched.

We were very grateful to Mrs Ann Fair from the bookshop at Door of Hope in Launceston (a Church of Christ) for helping to organise and promote the book launch. She also skilfully introduced Mary's book and read some of the first scene in chapter one. Mary then gave some insights into this book about two young people, a policeman and farmer’s daughter, seeking to deal with their past hurts and brokenness. She mentioned briefly how the characters in this book emerged from out of the previous two in her Baragula series. Their  story had to be told.

The readers were reminded that while this story is written as fiction, there are many broken-hearted folk, including Christians with deep hurts from the past that need healing. There is help available, including from the organisation Careforce Lifekeys as mentioned in the "Authors Note" at the end of this book.

One of the things I enjoy about serving God is how He ties things together. In the morning church service Sandy Hart spoke on overcoming issues from the past, an apt introduction to Mary’s book. Craig is going with Compassion International (a Children’s Ministry) to the Philippines and Mark’s wife Sue is a long time friend of our children from NSW.

Today (Tuesday as I’m running late with this) I was interviewed by a Toowoomba Christian radio station, Voice 92.9FM. This will be played on Thursday morning around 9:00-9:30am on their Catching Up programme. Thos in the viewing area should check the radio for details but folk anywhere in the world should be able to listen live on the internet. Website:

You can buy all our books from any Australian Christian bookshop, Even Before Publishing/Wombat books in Brisbane, or direct from us. See our website - Mary Hawkins Australian author - for details and we have PayPal available there also.
Don't forget:-  Clicking on blue underlined words in the blog will take you to the websites!

Another Book Giveaway

Very exciting!

We are expecting Ray’s books to arrive any day! He has been receiving emails that boxes of his books have arrived in Adelaide at the Churches of Christ Global Mission Partner office and from other friends and family too in Queensland and New South Wales. My book, Justice at Baragula is still at the printers but should also be arriving on our doorstep – and in bookshops during the next 2-3weeks.

After finishing preparing my talk for the Women Aglow meeting in Beaconsfield tomorrow morning, I managed to “create an event” on Facebook – my first one. Weell... I did try earlier but didn’t send it to specific folk and now they are probably getting the invitation twice – hopefully no more than that! This is announcing our book launch in Melbourne, Victoria at the Ringwood Church of Christ, Saturday 4th June at 2.30pm

Promotion of books takes TIME! And I’m discovering doing three at once even more complicated. I guess my main problem is trying to do and be involved in too many other things at the same time.

Trying to help readers know whether they can recommend books, authors often offer free copies – Weell... as many as we can afford of course. In later posts I will be giving away Ray’s two books also, so I do suggest if you are not already a Follower of this blog that you become one so you do not miss out. As mentioned in my last giveaway draw, I am giving you an opportunity to read my first two Baragula books before Book Three, Justice at Baragula hits the bookshelves. Unfortunately again I need to limit the draw for Book Two, Outback From Baragula, to readers in Australia and New Zealand. Later in the year when our books will be available as e-books we will celebrate that by more giveaways of them to – everywhere in the world!

About Book Two in the Baragula single title, inspirational romance series:

Meet folk from Baragula again in OUTBACK FROM BARAGULA when Matthew and Emily’s friend, Steve Honeysuckle, heads west to the Davidson’s outback cattle station and Matthew’s sister, Jillian Davidson. He loves his mountain home while she loves the endless plains of the outback. He has strong faith in God, she has none, but together they have to face the dangers of the outback to find Jillian’s missing twin brother and Davidson Downs’ stolen cattle.

To enter the draw, you must leave a comment here. The draw will be Tuesday evening the 10th of May next week Please return to see who the winner is. I will need contact details to send the book to the winner.

ENTER THE DRAW NOW BY LEAVING A COMMENT!

Giveaways, Guests and Greetings

Australian and New Zealand followers, you still have until before next Wednesday to leave a comment and be entered in the draw for Return to Baragula. Do remember you need to leave a comment AND be a follower to be in the draw.

As I mentioned last week this is Book One in my Baragula series. There will be another giveaway contest for Book Two, Outback From Baragula, before Justice at Baragula, Book Three, is released in May! Not long to wait for that book now, so do check back here! I will be including overseas followers later when I can offer them the e-books Ark house Press have said will be released as well!

Ray and I have been really blessed with hosting overnight guests this last month or so.

In fact, just after I typed that last sentence two lovely friends arrived to share with us. They have become “Grey Nomads” with a camper-van travelling around Australia and we have not seen them for many, many months. They returned to Tasmania for several weeks to see family and friends and we are so privileged to be included in their visit! (And that information is so you know I do have a bit of an excuse for this blog post being late – once again!)

I have truly had a feast of fellowship with guests these last few weeks. Jo-Anne Berthelsen and her husband stayed a few nights with us and while our long-suffering husbands also enjoyed fellowship as fellow ministers, we enjoyed sharing “writer talk”. We are both published by the same company, Ark House Press, and I am really looking forward to reading her next book, Helena’s Legacy, scheduled for release in June. Jo-Anne is also a wonderful speaker – as we discovered when she was the main speaker at the Baptist Women Ministries’ conference in March. Do click on her name to go to her website and learn about this lovely woman who blessed me so much during our time together.

(However, I'll make sure I don't stand in front of the stayed glass of our door next time. I promise you that is not a halo!)

 Last week we were privileged to also have John Mackay stay overnight with us. He is the International Director of  Creation Research - the man the media has called "The crocodile hunter of creation." and an international speaker http://www.creationresearch.net He had several appointments in our area and was great to renew fellowship with him in this way and be informed, blessed and challenged by his message. This photo was taken with John and another member of his team at Brady's Lookout between where we live and Launceston - a beautiful place.

With still catching up on the hundreds of neglected emails, organising book launches for Justice at Baragula  and Ray’s two books in Melbourne (June 4th – more details later) and Launceston as well as family and other commitments, this of course does mean I haven’t written anymore of my new manuscript. But I do know God IS in control! The time to write will come.

And now I must finish here and get back to checking the proofs for that new release in May.

Please remember the draw for that first book in the series, Return to Baragula. The draw will be Tuesday evening and announced next Wednesday.

My First Book Giveaway - on my own blog!

Baragula Book Three, Justice at Baragula, is coming in May! The edits have gone back to the publisher at last, the book is currently being formatted for proof editing and is scheduled for release in early May.
I have written other series before this, but it wasn't until I was doing these last edits I wondered if I have given away too much of the stories in the first two books.

This means I should be encouraging readers to make sure they have read them first. To start with, between now and April 27th, I would love to give away a copy of Book One, Return to Baragula, to anyone who is a follower of my blog and also leaves a comment.

This first Baragula book was published in 2008 and Book Two, Outback From Baragula, in 2009.

These are my first longer inspirational romance novels after the five Harlequin Mills and Boon category medical romances (1994-1998), and contemporary and historical inspirational romances published by the American publisher, Barbour Publishing, in their Heartsong Presents Book club (1993-2002). All except one book were later in two Barbour 4-in-1 volumes under the titles Australia (2000) and Australian Outback (2003). The novella in Australia, Search For the Star, was first published with three other stories by different authors in Christmas Dreams. Do check out my website - still needing updating though, I'm afraid! 

Many folk have asked me where "Baragula" is. Sorry, readers, it is a fictitious town set in the real area north-west of Sydney, not far from the Barrington Mountains to the east of Scone in the Hunter Valley. I do have a scene in the hospital in Scone and along the real road from Scone through to the Barringtons.

Many folk have also asked me, "Where do you get your ideas from?" For most of my books I simply have to say, "I really don't know - or remember where the germ of an idea originated from." So what about that first Baragula book? Let me say first of all that when I wrote Return to Baragula I had no idea of it becoming Book One in a series!

Australian readers will know that at the end of the school year in Australia, many thousands of teenagers completing their last year of High School before Tertiary education or entering the work force descend on various places around Australia to celebrate. We lived in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales when our seventeen year old daughter completed her final Higher School Certificate examinations. Several of her friends travelled to celebrate at the Gold Coast in Southern Queensland. While they apparently had a great time there, I have to confess feeling a little relieved our daughter did not go as she was preparing for twelve months overseas as a Rotary Exchange student. Years later my writer's brain clicked into gear. That simply means I started to ask many "What if?" questions about a Christian teenager who joined a School Bash party at the Gold Coast. The result was the prologue in Return to Baragula and the "ripples" that affected many others in Emily Parker's life for many years.

Book Two and Book Three are not sequels as I understand them but more "spin-offs" about characters you first meet in Return to Baragula. Over the years I have introduced minor characters in my stories and then later decide I just have to write their stories also!
Emily Parker and Doctor Matthew Davidson have their story told mainly in Book One. Then in Outback From Baragula, Matthew's sister, Jillian Davidson and one of Emily's friends, Steve Honeysuckle, have to survive many dangers out in western NSW on her family's cattle station.

In Return to Baragula I introduced Madeline Honeysuckle and the local policeman, Bradley Hunter, who obviously had some history between them. I just  had to share their story in Book Three, due out this coming May! I enjoyed creating an odd outback character - a kangaroo shooter - in Book Two so much he just had to appear again to help Brad and Maddie try to bring a criminal to justice in the final book in the series - well, right now I think it is the last in the Baragula series!
But there's another story, other characters trying to tell me their stories in outback Queensland in a manuscript I'm writing I've tentatively called Her Outback Cowboy. A young woman returns to her old outback home from America after many years growing up in Texas. When still a teenager, she had been wrenched away from her father and her beloved home in the outback.
Hmm, but then there's that Dream series I would love to finish. It is still evolving from my second Heartsong book, Damaged Dreams!

Enough of that! Lets get back to Baragula!
Apologies to my overseas readers, but this time I am limiting this giveaway of Return to Baragula to Australian and New Zealand readers only. And why? Well, Justice at Baragula is going to be released later as an e-book!  My publisher, Ark House Press, has told me it will be one of their first books also released in print AND an e-book. I am also anticipating the other two books will also be available later as e-books.

Of course that means more giveaways in the future!

And there's still more! Book One has had a few changes since that first print edition. I realised Book Clubs and Study Groups were looking for Questions for Discussion included in Christian Fiction books. All my three Baragula books now have them, including the latest version of Return to Baragula which will be the book sent to the winner of the draw.

And yes, I will have another giveaway here later for Outback From Baragula too. And then of course there are my husband's two devotional books, then BookThree in the Baragula series as well, then...?

REMEMBER: TO ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN RETURN TO BARAGULA YOU NEED TO BE A FOLLOWER AND ALSO LEAVE A COMMENT BEFORE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27TH
Please don't forget to leave your name and email contact details - or if your prefer, send them privately to me at mary@mary-hawkins.com 

E-books anyone? Randy Ingermanson shares.

When my publisher in Sydney, Ark House Press  told me my third Baragula book would be released not only in print in May but also as an e-book, I suddenly knew I had to find out all I could about them. I don't own an e-book reader of any kind - yet anyway. Because I spend so much time reading on a computer monitor I am very reluctant to enter this other new world. My favourite place to read is lounging on a bed with a favourite author's latest book and a block of my favourite chocolate and - Oh dear, forgot for a moment I'm not allowed to do that now - too much sugar and fat! Well, anyway hopping on the bed with an e-book instead of an old-fashioned book -and no chocolate - doesn't appeal to me at all - yet anyway!

I've even joined a new e-book writers sub-genre group of members of Romance Writers of Australia and reading any article about e-books that comes my way. Then the Advanced Fiction Writing E-Zine arrived this morning. I've been subscribed to this ever since Randy Ingermanson, the "Snowflake Guy", commenced it and over the years have been challenged and helped many times not only by articles here but his wise and knowledgable posts on the American Christian Fiction Writers loop. So, I've taken up this very generous writer's offer of the Reprint rights copied below and share this article (No 4) from the Advanced Fiction Writers E-zine Vol 7 No 3
I strongly recommend writers serious about their writing careers subscribe to this E-zine! And for all of you  readers who have not ventured into writing yourself, this will give you a good, behind-the-scene insight into the world of writers and their careers.

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Over to Randy:-

Reprint Rights
Permission is granted to use any of the articles in this e-zine in your own e-zine or web site, as long as you include the following 2-paragraph blurb with it:

Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the Snowflake Guy," publishes the Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 24,000 readers, every month. If you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND have FUN doing it, visit

http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/.

Download your free Special Report on Tiger Marketing and get a free 5-Day Course in How To Publish a Novel.
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4) Marketing: An Industry Pro Goes E
The e-book revolution is roaring in even faster than predicted by e-enthusiasts. A few facts will make clear what I mean:

A-list novelist David Morrell recently self-published his novel THE NAKED EDGE on Amazon, in Kindle and audio formats only.

A-list marketing guru Seth Godin is due today, March 1, 2011, to self-publish his next book, POKE THE BOX, simultaneously in hardcover and e-format.

In January of this year, self-published e-novelist Amanda Hocking sold a reputed 450,000 copies of her books on Amazon. She is 26 years old. Less than a year ago, she posted her first novel on Amazon. Now, she's a superstar.

In view of these, I wasn't surprised when one of my writing buddies, Jim Bell, recently self-published a new e-book, COVER YOUR BACK. The book contains a novella and three short stories. If the words "film noir" and "femme fatale" ring your bells, then COVER YOUR BACK might well be a book you'd enjoy.

Jim has not abandoned the world of traditional publishing. His venture into e-books simply allows him to do things that he couldn't have done with a paper-and-ink publisher that thinks a year is a short period of time.

I asked Jim to tell me about his venture in an interview for this e-zine. Here's a blurb about him and his writing:

JAMES SCOTT BELL is a bestselling thriller author and served as the fiction columnist for Writer's Digest magazine. He has written three popular craft books for Writers Digest Books: Plot & Structure, Revision & Self-Editing and The Art of War for Writers. Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences. On June 4th and 5th he is teaching a seminar in Los Angeles for novelists and screenwriters. Information can be found at http://www.jamesscottbell.com/

On to the interview. Let's see what motivated Jim to take the e-plunge.


Randy: You recently self-published your first e-book, after more than a decade of publishing paper books with a number of traditional royalty-paying publishers. What prompted you to take the plunge into the e-book market?

Jim: Because there is absolutely no downside to it, and plenty of upside. The e-market is exploding and I had several stories and a novella that didn't have a home. E-book publishing allows me to bring new material to my readers, and introduce me to others. I've always admired the old pulp writers of the mid 20th century who had to write a lot for a penny a word, but created some of the best suspense ever. That's what I always wanted to be able to do, and now can via e-publishing.

The nice thing is that the royalty for these works is great and I get paid every month.


Randy: Let's talk a bit about the process. You decided to write a novella and three short stories. You wrote them in Microsoft Word just as you normally do. Then what happened? How did you take the book from a Word document to its final published form on Amazon and the other online retailers?

Jim: I hired a person to do the conversion for me. There are many people out there who will do this, and the cost is relatively low. You should be able to find someone for between $50 - $100. It may be a bit more if the document needs more work. I toyed with the idea of doing it myself, but was advised by others to let a professional handle it. So I provided the Word document and the person I hired converted into a format for Kindle, for Nook, and for Smashwords, should I expand to that.


Randy: Many fiction contracts have "non-compete" clauses in them. Tell us about those and what they mean for the already-published author who wants to venture into the electronic self-publishing world but doesn't want to alienate his publisher.

Jim: Well, publishers are investing money in writers and trying to build them. So a standard publishing contract has a clause that says the writer cannot sell a book that might compete with the one they're publishing. Usually there's language about potential "harm" to the sales of the contracted book. That could mean that a self-published e-book, at a low price point, could be viewed as competition with the published e-book, which might have a higher price point.

On the other hand, a low priced, self-published e-book can be seen as a marketing tool for the other books. This should all be discussed with the publisher, and a written understanding hammered out.


Randy: Any predictions on the near-term future of publishing? As we speak, Borders is circling the drain and Barnes & Noble is battling to reinvent itself, while dozens of previously unknown writers are earning thousands of dollars per month. Where do you see the world of publishing going in 2011? What are your plans to deal with the massive change?

Jim: I do think the traditional publishing model is undergoing great stress now. There are fewer distributions points, less revenue coming in as consumers turn to lower priced e-books. The old guard will have to be experimenting with new ways of doing things, but that's hard for a big, established business to do.

Meantime, there will be a veritable tsunami of original material self-published. Most of it will be bad. A writer still needs to sweat and strain and get better. The old model provided a filtering system. But for those who learn to write well, the self-publishing avenue has great potential.

I don't think anyone can predict what the landscape will look like in five years. I have been surprised at the rapid rise in e-readers (as was predicted by one Randall Ingermanson). As a writer I'm taking advantage of the opportunity. Others will do the same. And word of mouth will continue to help the best works get the attention they deserve.


Randy: You probably couldn't have traditionally published your novella WATCH YOUR BACK and you almost certainly couldn't have published your short stories in paper format. Tell us a bit about those stories and why you wrote them. Isn't it enough to be a successful novelist?

Jim: I love the short story and novella form. It used to be we had a thriving short story market in this country, lots of pulp and slick magazines. But that all dried up except for a couple of little magazines, through which it is impossible to make a living. And yes, short story collections are rarely published in print form.

So, here is a way for me to write short form suspense fiction and publish it. As I said, there's just no downside to that. I can provide entertainment for readers at a low cost, and everyone's happy.


Randy: I bought COVER YOUR BACK last week and read through it in a day. Great read! Lots of fun for those who like darkish fiction. What advice do you have for someone contemplating writing exclusively for the self-publishing market?

Jim: First, always be about getting better as a writer. That should never stop. I started in this business 20 years ago and have kept on studying the craft all that time.

Second, be sure to have your story vetted by several "beta" readers, and even consider paying a freelance editor to go over the manuscript. Readers do notice if the text is sloppy.

Third, hire a good cover designer. You have to make a good first impression with your book cover.

Finally, make some long term plans. What kind of writing will be your specialty, your "brand"? As you build readers, they are going to expect some continuity in your work. That's not to say you can't be flexible and try new things, but an audience is grown largely by coming to rely on the type of story you produce. Think of Stephen King and John Grisham. Even they did not deviate from their genres until they were well established in them.


Randy: Great advice, as always. Thanks for telling us about your adventures on Planet E, Jim!


If you're interested in checking out what devilish games Jim plays on his lead characters, have a look at the Amazon page for WATCH YOUR BACK. Priced at $2.99, it's a darned good deal:
http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com/blinks/bell/back.php

(Standard full disclosure: The above link contains my Amazon affiliate code.)

I hope to get my own first self-published e-book into cyberspace this month. The book will be one of my previously published novels, OXYGEN.
The premise: An explosion on the first mission to Mars leaves four astronauts with only enough oxygen for one of them to reach the Red Planet alive. NASA engineers feverishly plan a rescue mission, but it's hopeless unless somebody can figure out which of the four astronauts is the saboteur.

Watch this space for more info on OXYGEN.

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So there you have it, readers. I found this article fascinating and a huge "thank you" once again for Randy's generosity in letting me share this with you on my blog.

I would be very interested to know how many readers of my blog do read e-books. Could you please leave your comments about e-books for me? I need to continue learning all I can about them!

Of course you will be hearing more from me about my first published e-book, Justice at Baragula, in the weeks to come.
Oh, and I was also told the first two books in my Baragula series are also in line to be released as e-books - but that's another story!