Some of you may have noticed I love creating a sense of place. The setting of a novel can produce a definite atmosphere and can almost be like one of the characters. It can drive the plot, although not the underlying story. If you’ve read all my books, you’ve particularly visited Launceston, outback Queensland with Yandina and Nambour, Brisbane during the 1974 floods, New Ireland (PNG), and King Island or its counterpart in Moreton Bay. I love immersing myself in the setting, then seeing it through the characters’ eyes. I’m not alone in this interest. Have any of you read Poison Bay ..read more

Every second year the CALEB Award includes two extra-special categories of awards designed to encourage and lift up Christian writers - the Barnabas and Encouragement Awards. These awards are a little different. For these, there are no books to submit, no manuscripts to polish. These awards are about recognising writers for who they are, their commitment to their craft, and their often selfless input into other writers. The Barnabas Award The Barnabas Award is a cash prize award that recognises the input Christian writers make into the lives and work of other writers. It’s about celebrating ..read more

I've no doubt we're living in the era of the positive affirmation. A glance at the self-help section of our libraries and book shops makes this clear. Best-sellers on this topic abound, from the writings of Louise L Hay to "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne and her team of experts. Others with similar themes, such as "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill have been around long enough to attain classic status. This is the thinking climate those of my generation have grown up in and publishers are still churning them out. For years, I'd studied these books carefully. I'd decided the theory behind t ..read more

by Charis Joy Jackson Today I happened upon a post I wrote for this wonderful site in 2016. I recommend reading it, as it so eloquently says what I'm about to sharing on today, only coming at it from another angle. It's a good topic. An important one for us. And one I think we can all relate with. What is that glorious topic, you may ask?  Why, fear, of course. That pesky friend no one remembers actually inviting to the party because we probably didn’t, but he showed up anyway.  The focus of the 2016 blog was very gentle, it went something a little like this: “Stop it. Stop it now or ..read more

  Finding Joy in the Battle   Early April 2023: Writing has many inspirations. It flows from life's interactions with people and experiences mixed with imagination and soul revelations. Often it is piqued by immersion in places where the grace of creation is as tangible as if you had just plunged into the deep dark, chilling pool of a high mountain stream. You are awakened to the world of pleasure and pain, colours and textures, light and shades, tastes and delights, olfactory joys and testing journeys. Your Spirit alive. Made aware. Paraclete's presence. The Shalom of providential n ..read more

It's time for the 2023 CALEB Awards from Omega Writers. CALEB stands for Christian Authors Lifting Each other’s Books. The CALEB Award: Supports excellence in Australasian Christian books by encouraging and educating writers, regardless of genre. Encourages excellence in Australasian Christian books by recognising and rewarding our best writers across a range of genres. The CALEB Award is open for entries until 1 May 2023, so if you’re an unpublished Christian writer from Australia or New Zealand, it’s time to polish your manuscript! THE CATEGORIES FOR THE 2023 CALEB AWARD ARE: Unpub ..read more

  Have you ever been on a writer's retreat? I've been on eight, so there must be something that keeps bringing me back. Is it the time to write? The networking? The input and mentoring? The fun and fellowship? The pool? Well, it's all of those and more. What is a Writer's Retreat? A writer's retreat is a time when you can get away from the usual routine of your life, do some writing (surprise!), and gain encouragement from other writers. It can be as simple as a few people popping over to a friend's house for the day, or as grand as jetting off to a French chateau where you'll eat gour ..read more

  Jesus is the main protagonist in the Easter story, and we should be filled with awe every time we hear how he died for our sins and rose again. However, it’s easy to  become complacent. We’ve heard it all before. Another Easter, another sermon. We know how the story goes. Changing Perspectives But what if we changed perspective? Jesus is the star of the show, but there’s a large supporting cast. Peter, John, Judas, Caiaphas the high priest, Pontius Pilate the Roman governor, Joseph of Arimathea, Simon of Cyrene, Barabbas, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Salome, the Rom ..read more

Christian Writers Downunder is a diverse group of writers, editors, bloggers, illustrators. As a group we support each other through our Facebook page and blog. Today's blog will highlight some of the achievements of our members from January-March 2023 New Releases The Elizion Shield by Elizabeth Klein The Elizion Shield (Book 1) A drought-ravaged planet. Secrets worth dying for. A boy's desperate struggle to survive a destructive alien agenda. A teenage boy wanders alone through a drought-ravaged wasteland and witnesses a fight between two sky-born. Against all reason, he saves the ..read more

Hands up who loves Book PR?  Quite… Don’t rush me.    Let’s try a new slant.  Create opportunities to interest potential readers. If they don’t know about your books it’s no wonder sales languish.    Opportunities for a live book launch dried in past years. Many creative authors offer virtual book launches. Offer prizes. Showcase.    BOOK SIGNINGS Talk with book shop colleagues like Kirsten Hart, Store Manager at Koorong Books Toowoomba. Where Anne Hamilton along with others and myself  will share a signing session on Saturday April 29 at 11a ..read more