Here are the books from the series that are currently available. I am still waiting for the printer to confirm the date for the fourth title, but the eBook editions are available (Amazon and other popular platforms).
I have been tidying up the tabs on the home page. There is now a tab that will take you to the River Wild Romantic Suspense page which has the information for all the related projects. Clicking on the images on that page then takes readers to the individual pages for each of the books.
Book 5 in the series is written and when I get my alpha reader reports back, I will start sending it out to my beta readers. An alpha reader gets the first draft with all the mistakes. The beta readers get the revised version for their comments. The editor has scheduled this manuscript for November-February 2021, with a projected publication date of April. I’m not making any promises, because ANYTHING could happen between now and then to throw the schedule out. The main characters are the two girls who appear in chapter 26 of the first book (Sara is the ‘heroine’ and Gina is her ‘friend’), and Oliver, the helicopter pilot who gets dragged into Piper’s adventures in Book 2, 3 and 4.
Book 6 in the series is being written now. I have finished the first two chapters, and am collecting inspirational verses that suggest there will be the usual kind of challenging situations for the characters to endure. In this story, the central characters are Sigrid (one of Piper’s agents – she appears in Books 3, 4 and 5) and Kurt (you meet him in Book 4)
Do you recognise the toy depicted on this sign? I have a childhood memory featuring a large wooden plank that would accommodate at least eight players. It came with a high risk that someone might fall off and hurt themselves.
Those were the days before warning signs. The danger added to the excitement.
Much later, I learned the science behind the seesaw game. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Or “What goes up must come down”.
What does this have to do with the writing journey? As one end of the seesaw rises towards the sky the other end drops towards the ground. For everyone involved, both on the way up, and again on the way down, there is a moment where the seesaw is in perfect balance. That is what I’m aiming for as a writer, that momentary perfection.
A seesaw needs more than one player to utilise it properly. Each person needs to negotiate with the other/s in order to anticipate actions and reactions.
Without readers, the writing adventure would have no momentum. Thanks for joining me in the game 🙂
In the last few weeks, I finished the first draft of Book 5 (When Promises are Forever) – possible release early 2021. I began negotiations about the cover for my first fantasy novella (pre-Christmas release) and received back the copy-edited Book 4 manuscript (Which Promise This Time?) which is scheduled for an early September release. I also brainstormed the opening chapters for Book 6 (no title yet). The accompanying up and down emotions have included confidence, self-doubt, anger, excitement, exhilaration and fear.
Writers are complicated souls. They work long solitary hours writing their stories. But after the story is published, they anticipate some kind of response from their readers. Without feedback, questions and comments from readers, the momentum can be lost.
That brings my reflections on balance to a close. Let me know if you have any suggestions for future posts. Until next time, I pray that you keep safe, achieve balance in work and play, and find time for reading.
My creative focus remains on the River Wild Series. At the moment, I have a fascination with moving bodies of water. That’s why my second post on balance has an ocean theme.
When life gets a little turbulent, my initial response is to retreat to the safety of the shore. Experience has taught me that I need strength and self-confidence if I am to maintain my balance when the waves are breaking. This realisation teaches me that, while I enjoy watching moving water, being moved by the waves has become a fearful thing. A reminder of all my limitations, which takes my eyes off the potential adventure and parks me on the shore of “I must not dare”.
God and I have been talking about how I can regain my self-confidence. There are parallels between my creative hesitancy and my physical wellbeing. I have a long-term infirmity that has kept me out of the waves for the past two summers. Here’s a photo of me – note the sensible walking shoes to avoid any possibility that I might trip or fall.
January 2019, Tiger Head Beach, Dodges Ferry, Tasmania
Anxiety was the catalyst for my initial injury and anxiety continues to sustain the problem. I find myself pausing before I step forward to help someone, wondering if I will have the strength to make it safely home when I am finished.
Anxiety also nibbles away at my writing success. Not even three self-published books on my bookcase are enough to keep me upright when anxiety rolls in, like a thundering wave, and sweeps me off my feet.
The balance that I am seeking is halfway between “I am too afraid to try” and “my reckless decisions come at too great a cost”. I want to get back into the water, and to be confident that I won’t drown.
For me, the answer includes making a stand with God at my side. I’m looking for that place of safety, where He holds my hand. If the waves threaten to pull me off my feet, His strength sustains me. He created the waves and can see the danger that is coming, and He asks me to trust in Him. In everything I write, that search for balance is there.
DO you have a favourite Scripture to help bring balance into your situation? Please share.
Sometimes all I need is a little treat to tide me over until the next meal. This “little carrot cupcake with cream cheese icing” photo was hiding in my photo archive. If I had one of these right now, it would only take me a moment to gobble it up. Then I could get back to writing my post without feeling guilty.
But I have a confession to make. If I had some of these little cakes in the pantry, and nobody to share with, I would probably eat them all. Of course, I would make myself walk to and from the kitchen for each one. That would remind me that I was being distracted from the tasks that I have on my today list. And if that didn’t work, then I would set myself a longer walk, and maybe even allocate a household task to complete on the way.
January 2019 site specific weaving, Blue Lagoon Conference Centre, Dodges Ferry, Tasmania, Australia. Recycled knitting yarn and balcony structure.
If I am left to myself, I can sit at the computer for hours without moving – except to eat. I’ve been trying this walk-to-eat strategy for a few years. I even used it for my final university art project in 2017. Visit my artist page here.
Finding the right balance between writing and researching how I’m supposed to do all the other things on this writing journey is a challenge. Sometimes, I get so involved in writing that I fall behind with my publishing schedule. At other times, it feels as if I’ve gone too far the other way… This is a different kind of weaving, the meandering to and fro while still keeping my eyes on the final direction.
And then there are the knots! Those little intersections of time and opportunity where everything seems to converge and I come to a standstill.
It is times like these that I return to Scripture. I believe that there will always be an answer to whatever is worrying me. Here is one of my favourites: Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my Shepherd. How does this apply to my situation? He leads and I follow. Like all “good sheep”, sometimes I get distracted, but He’s ready to call me back. If I get into trouble, He has a big shepherd’s crook to bring me out of the tangled mess I’m in. There are even a few times when He has to carry me. But my favourite times are when He runs along beside me, helping me discover the fun in this adventure.
DO you have a favourite Scripture to help bring balance into your situation? Please share.
Rocks at Okines Beach, Dodges Ferry, Tasmania, Australia
It is winter here in Tassie. Much too cold to go to the beach today, but I can dream of warmer days as I sit here at the computer 🙂 For the past few months, my Saturdays have been devoted to recording, editing, and publishing videos to YouTube so that my small church community could have a shared online Worship experience.
Tomorrow we will be meeting face to face for the first time since CoVid19 restrictions came in. Which means Saturday has become my own again.
So what will I do with all this spare time?
All I really want to do is write, write, write. Book 5 is nearing the critical point, and I am impatient to get there. And I have three more story ideas for a spin-off series featuring Marco Fontana, the pizza-devouring teenager who has become a favourite. Plus there’s the final book in my fantasy trilogy…
Alas, there are other tasks that must have their turn first. One of them was right in my face when I opened up my computer to start this post. A big red ! warning me that something technical was “out-of-date” and “unstable”. I had a quick look at the accompanying information and then hunted out the password to contact the Help Desk. Problem solved, and it didn’t cost me more than half an hour.
Plus there was a bonus opportunity to have a little laugh. The Online Helper said these kinds of red warnings were “normal”, and if my web page was working okay, I could leave it…
Would you? I didn’t think so. Neither did I.
It has been a busy week. The first shipment of paperbacks for Book 3: When Freedom Is Promised came early. I’ve made some hand deliveries and put a few copies in the regular mail. Here is Ezra, my helpful assistant, checking that I put the right addresses on a few books. With the borders still closed, he was tempted to mail himself to Queensland.it…
Help, please
I am keeping this short today. The final topic is a request for your help. Before I can start planning the Marco Fontana series of books, I need to invent a pizza menu for Papa Benito and Mama Rosa’s restaurant. If the choices were left to me, it wouldn’t be a very long list. I’m not very adventurous – give me meat and cheese and I’m happy.
So I am putting out an invitation to my readers. Please send me your menu suggestions in the comments section below. If you have a fancy name to go with your topping description, even better. If I include your idea in Marco’s menu, then I will credit you in his books.
It has been more than a year since my last blog post.
A lot can happen in a year.
I released my first book…
And my second!
And I am in the process of releasing my third title in the series.
So what happened to my weekly posts?
Good question. There are a few reasons I stopped writing. Some of them are understandable, and others took me by surprise. I’m not going to fill this page with the details. I had some challenges to manage, and lessons to learn. But I’m hoping that I have come out the other side and found my online voice again.
What I want to share is why I have been able to make it back.
Once people discover that I have written a book, they ask questions. Some of those questions are tricky. Sometimes, they purchase a book, which leads to more questions. And some of my readers want to discuss the different themes that I have woven into my stories.
Please keep the questions and comments coming. Talking about my books, and finding answers to some of the trickier questions, is making me a better writer. And a stronger person.
That doesn’t mean writing and publishing are getting any easier. I made a rookie mistake that has set the release date for Book 3 back by a few weeks. But Book 4 is already queued into the Editor’s schedule and should return to me for more hard work mid-July. I am hoping to release that one in September.
Where can you get my books? Paperbacks are available from me. The eBook links are on my Facebook author page
When I work out how to add the links to this new version of the program I am using, I will add them here – this is another of those “things” that have changed while I was away 😉
Amazon links here. All three books are “live” here.
White Rose of Promise, the paperback version, became available to the wholesalers on May 20, 2019. To celebrate, I am holding a small local party, here in Sorell, Tasmania. There will be cake.
Time 2pm -4:30ish Saturday 1st June 2019 Afternoon Tea and Book Signing BYO alcohol, soft drink and hot beverages provided Sorell School Performing Arts Centre, Walker Street, Sorell, TAS, 7190 https://www.facebook.com/events/510703492796215/
I have been fortunate to secure a talented musician to perform for me at my Book Launch Party. I am especially pleased, as his colourful tattoos were a key inspiration for the visual development of the hero in my novel.
Here is one of my favourite videos from 2014, when my famous nephew was a contestant on The Voice. Here is the link to his onscreen audition for The Voice from 2014. To date, this video has had 6 million+ views. He was a little nervous, but the judges forgot to ask him his name, so it wasn’t the usual chat at the end. If you hang around, you will even get to ‘meet’ my little brother, my sister-in-law and my other talented nephew )i(
The closer I get to self-publishing my first Romantic Suspense Novel, White Rose of Promise, the more unexpected little problems I encounter.
The most recent one took me a lot of time, and a whole treasury of emotional energy, to deal with. It derailed my progress in all of my writing activities. Long hours spent online ‘chatting’ to the Technical Support team took me on an adventure of discovery.
For those who have visited my page before, you may have noticed that the ‘my email isn’t working’ notification was up for a VERY long time. I was reasonably certain that I had made some foundational error, but didn’t have either the time or the emotional energy to deal with it in 2018.
A tricky problem
Turns out I was correct. The seventh ‘chat’ finally revealed that I had missed some basic information right at the start of setting up my account. An attempt to rectify the problem back then didn’t work, because the additional feature I was paying for was not attached to this page… It was NEVER going to work. All fixed now 🙂
As a writer, I am very interested in the emotional rollercoaster that accompanied this difficult lesson. The first time I contacted the Help Desk, I felt very anxious but confident that I had explained myself correctly. The second time, I was annoyed that the reassurances hadn’t come to anything. In fact, my situation was much worse – my whole web page went offline!
The third time, I was frustrated and impatient.
Something unexpected happened after that. The anxiety and anger dissipated, to be replaced by a lighthearted feeling of relief. I was able to sit at the computer with a smile on my face, and gratitude in my heart.
It didn’t seem to matter that I was losing writing time, only that someone was doing their best to help me. The worst case scenario had been fulfilled and rectified – my web page was back online, the links to my posts on my facebook page worked again, and eventually, the promise that my email would work would be fulfilled.
So what changed?
So what changed between the third and fourth ‘chat’? The helpful advisor told me that I ‘obviously’ hadn’t waited long enough for changes 1 and 2 to work, and said not to contact them again until I had waited 48 hours. So I did.
Please don’t think that I patiently waited during the remaining hours in silence. I petitioned heaven, both about my problem with the email and because the torrent of emotions and the accompanying fallout was wrecking my ability to deal with all the other daily struggles.
Only when I reached the end of the seventh ‘chat’ did I see the resolution to the email problem, but having my emotions flip to positive ones gave me patience and the expectation that everything was going to be fine )i(
Ezra’s words of wisdom: There is nothing a good prayer, a cup of hot chocolate, a cookie, and a friendly bear can’t fix )i(
Please comment!
I am signing off now. If you have the time, please help me celebrate the email account victory, by leaving me a comment. I would love to open my emails and find a notification to remind me that even the little problems have a guaranteed success. Chrissy )i(
I am writing a day late this week. There were so many possible topics running around in my head yesterday, I couldn’t catch any of them long enough to write them down!
This morning, it has been a lot easier to take up a thread and run with it all the way to the lesson to be learned )i(
Three decades ago I participated in a detailed survey designed to identify my Spiritual Giftings. Wisdom was not one of mine, and there have been countless times since when I have wished that it had been.
There have been many times when I have made foolish mistakes. Everything always turns out alright in the end, but the journey of discovery that follows such a mistake can be challenging.
Most of my waking moments this week have been spent either writing the first draft of my current manuscript (Book 3 untitled) and watching the Australian Open Tennis on television. My favourite athlete has been eliminated, making it easier to tear myself away as the competition heads to the finals.
I am happy to report that I have only six more chapters to write for Book 3, but the hard work starts after that as I edit and review. Watch this space for a further update.
This bear never says a word… perhaps that is the secret to his wisdom. Often I come away from a moment of quiet reflection to discover that I already have what I need to deal with the current problem
Ezra’s Words of Wisdom #1: Remember to take time to read, reflect and pray. Wait for God to point you in the right direction. Only then is it okay to run off on an adventure…
“God’s laws covered concerns from sacrifices to sexuality, crops to cleanliness, building a house to taking a bath, religious rituals to raising children, sowing a field to sewing a garment. Wisdom is no ethereal, other-worldly quality, but is down to earth and pragmatic, with something to say about mundane details of everyday living, even walking along the road (10:3). Wisdom is viewing life from its Creator’s perspective and living life according to its Designer’s principles. The outcome isn’t simply righteous living, but a smoother, safer, more successful navigation of life’s uncertainties.” ( Tanya Ferdinandusz, from Whispering Wisdom, WordLive 10/1/2019, accessed from https://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2019-01-10/Whispering-wisdom
Ezra’s Words of Wisdom #2: Sometimes, you have to take a little break before you can let the creative writing flow freely
Here is a video that gives some clues about how another writer comes up with creative ideas.
“Basically… he took the mundane and he turned it into the miraculous.” 2:56 TEDx Talks. 2014. “A writer’s secrets to catching creative ideas/ Brad Herzog / TEDxMonterey.” YouTube video, 10 May 2014, 15:36, https://youtu.be/Ln1ggxYoh2g
I only realised when I was putting this post in some kind of order that the word ‘mundane’ is included in both the Tanya Ferdinandusz quote and the snippet I saved from the video. The first one was fresh, but the second had been sitting here in my helpful resources file since 2018.
My creative philosophy is built on the expectation that every little detail has the potential to be extraordinary. The routine, seemingly unimportant, trivial, everyday ordinary things – the ‘mundane’. In the hands of my Creative God, the mundane is transformed into my greatest treasure. He is creating a masterpiece out of things that the world considers worthless. This brings me the greatest joy )i(
A white rose…
Thanks to those who gave me feedback on my draft book blurb for White Rose of Promise. I shared it in a number of forums and have made a few subtle changes. Here it is now:
A prophetic dream she can’t remember. A shameful past she can’t forget. An impossible future she dare not cherish.
Ria Fontana comes home from twenty years in exile. She is looking for reconciliation but her family refuse to acknowledge the secret that keeps them apart. They cannot accept that the lost years have changed her forever. Her hope for a new beginning fades.
Sebastian Romano has no time for women and abhors weakness. The wealthy businessman is uncertain why he offers Ria a way out of her dilemma, but it is too late to change his mind. If only he had understood the risk.
Ria’s innocence turns his orderly world upside down. Her faith challenges his values as she steps into her destiny. He thought he was done with his violent past, but his enemies have found her. Romano watches helplessly as the prophecy unfolds…
Red Ochre Beach, Dodges Ferry, Tasmania, Australia Photo Credit Samuel Whittle
January here in the Southern Hemisphere heralds warmer weather.
It brings the opportunity to rest and reflect on the previous year and to plan for the new one.
It is also the time that I volunteer on the team for Scripture Union Tasmania Family Camp South, and my first beach visit for 2019.
Here I am on a child-friendly beach. The water was still too cold for me to take a swim )i(
There is something very special about living in a small community, away from the ordinary, everyday normal life. It opens up new opportunities to make discoveries.
This year, the theme for camp was Art/Artists, and in my spare time, I took over one section of the balcony and created an installation. Here is the link to my Facebook album
Christine O’Malley, Shimmering Skies (installation view), 2019. Site-specific mixed media artwork, Blue Lagoon Christian Convention Centre, Dodges Ferry, Tasmania, Australia. Photo: Christine O’Malley
This was the first one where I was the only participant, and also the only time I have had an outdoor artwork remain open to the elements for more than a few hours. I am happy to report, after five days, and a few stormy nights, the delicate strands remained exactly where I left them. My only regret was not having enough wind to make the severed ends fly when it was time to start disassembling the weaving.
Christine O’Malley, Shimmering Skies (installation view), 2019. Site-specific mixed media artwork, Blue Lagoon Christian Convention Centre, Dodges Ferry, Tasmania, Australia. Photo: Christine O’Malley
Meanwhile, my writing projects had a holiday of their own. Book 1: White Rose of Promise – the cover design has been chosen and I am waiting for the designer to send me the latest version. The blurb (that brief introduction that hides on the back of the book) has been drafted. The manuscript is with the Proofreader and been received favourably, with only a few errors – mainly Capitalisation of keywords to match the rest of the document. Book 2: When Promises Are Broken – the cover design elements have been selected. The manuscript is with the beta-readers and has been favourably received. Those who have sent me their reports are already asking for the next book… Book 3: (Still no title). I reached a critical point in Chapter 15 and then left my poor hero in limbo to deal with his troubles on his own (while I was at camp).
Help wanted:
As the first of my potential readers, I am inviting you to tell me what you think of my blurb for Book 1.
Ria Fontana is home from twenty years in exile.
She has changed – her name, her appearance, her personality. Her family barely recognise her. What happened to their carefree Maria? What secrets is she hiding? Ria’s dream for a new beginning fades.
Why has God asked her to risk everything for a promise?
Wealthy businessman Sebastian Romano has a heated argument with Ria at his favourite restaurant. The unhappy waitress knows nothing of his past, and no-one dares to warn her. Without family ties and few friends, this woman-hater is the last person she should turn to for help.
Her innocent presence draws out his enemies. Now Ria is in a battle for more than her dream – a fight for her life.
