Please jump on link below and support my online launch with Koorong.
Purchase my new release ‘Beyond Resolution’ to go into the draw to win 2 nights on Daydream Island Resort and Spa. (conditions apply)
Things to see on the launch page;
Trailer to ‘Beyond Resolution’.
Interview with Caleb winner Paula Vince.
http://www.koorong.com/estore/rosedee.html
http://www.daydreamisland.com/
New author Andrea Grigg is set to launch her first novel ‘A Simple Mistake’ this weekend. The one major thought that kept popping up throughout my reading of this book was: ‘I wish I had read this when I was younger’. This is more than a story of love gone wrong. The themes will linger long after you finish reading this book. It is my opinion that this is a very valuable read for young Christian women. Andrea was kind enough to answer some interview questions. I hope you enjoy.
When teenage sweethearts Nick and Lainey meet again after more than a decade, so much has changed. Nick is now a famous celebrity and Lainey is the girl he left behind. As a member of a highly successful band and with an emerging acting career, Nick can have any girl he wants. Now he wants Lainey back.
Despite Nick’s promise to keep in touch when he left to seek fame and fortune, Lainey never heard from him. Now that time has passed, she has moved on from what she felt. Or has she?
After discovering what kept them apart for so long, they tentatively rekindle their past romance. The feelings are just as strong as before but can Lainey accept Nick’s lack of faith? And can their new relationship survive Lainey’s secret?
In your debut novel ‘A Simple Mistake’, you explore many themes from teenage romance to the concept of a soul mate. What do you want readers to take away from this story?
Apart from the ‘feel good’ thing?J Seriously though, I want readers to be reminded that they can trust God with their lives because He loves them. As ‘simple’ as that.
2. What was your inspiration for writing ‘A Simple Mistake’?
A few years ago, the teenage son of a friend was in a band which was ‘discovered’ on the internet. It started me thinking about how his life would be completely changed by this event (which it has) … and that’s all it took. Incidentally, my hero, Nick, has no resemblance to Tim whatsoever. His mother can vouch for that – she’s one of my book buddies who read my chapters as they emerged.
3. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born in New Zealand and moved to Australia in 1983. I met my husband in a church in Sydney, and then we moved up to the Gold Coast in 1985 when I was pregnant with our first child. Two more children and many years later, we’re still here! I teach part time at a local primary school, (currently Grade 5 children), and try to write on my days off. I do get distracted though.
Apart from thinking up characters and plots, I love to read, hang out with family and friends, and listen to music. I also sing and play keys, although not as much now I’m into writing. Another thing I really enjoy doing is encouraging people in their walk with the Lord. Words are so powerful, whether they’re spoken or written.
4. What’s next for Andrea Grigg?
More books published, I hope. I have so many ideas it’s ridiculous, enough to keep me going until I’m ninety. I’ll need to be able to ‘speak’ the words onto a bigscreen by then – my eyes are bad enough now.
I also would like be invited to speak to groups about the writing process and my journey to getting published. I’ve learned so much, and would love to pass it on to those who share a passion for writing, or are even just thinking about it.
I’ve got a few ‘life experience’ stories up my sleeve too, including my own adoption story. ( I’m one of 7 siblings; we have the same parents, we were all adopted out… I’ve got your interest now, haven’t I!)
5. Where and when can we get a copy of ‘A Simple Mistake’?
‘A Simple Mistake’ is now available from Koorong www.koorong.com.au and Word bookstores, on Amazon, and Even Before Publishing’s website. Myown website, http://www.andreagrigg.com will be up and running very soon, and my book can be ordered from there as well.
A few days ago, my son told me to keep all his drawings and; ‘Don’t throw them away. Because I have no doubt that when I am an adult, people will pay big money for them.’
Trying to conceal my humour, I told him that under no circumstances would any of them be put in the bin. Having overcome my amusement something very powerful struck me about this exchange. That is: My son’s overwhelming confidence in his abilities.
I started to think about the confidence he had in his future success. I loved that he didn’t just sit back and say ‘maybe one day’ but said ‘absolutely one day’. And since then he has worked hard and produced many, many more drawings. I may even have to buy a new shed to house them all. He is willing to work hard towards his goal, believing and knowing his success will come.
Now, I know that my son may not become a great artist. At six years of age he does have a lot of growing up to do. But his attitude will get him far. I have decided to harness this and be an example to him.
My son’s attitude has given me a renewed strength as I press on towards the launch of my second book ‘Beyond Resolution’ on the 23rd of April. It will be a week-long event consisting of a very special online launch, a photo trailer presentation of my new release ‘Beyond Resolution’, and a video trailer presentation of the ‘Resolution Series’, AND a local Mackay bookstore launch. It’s a lot of hard work, but I KNOW it WILL be worth it.
In ‘Back to Resolution’ Bay resolved to find her father. Keep and eye on this website to find out what Samara is searching for. ‘Beyond Resolution’ – the second book in the ‘Resolution Series’.
A prominent locally elected official recently chastised me for writing him letters outlining a serious community safety concern. Now – I am no habitual champion of right fighting. I generally go about my business in life content that the ‘powers that be’ are doing their jobs, so you can bet that this particular issue really upset me. But when I was told off for bringing the issue to the attention of the authorities I had to ask myself – is it old school to expect politicians to listen to us?
I recently saw a television ‘flash back’ outlining political campaign methods spanning the 60’s through to the 90’s. Back in the day, politicians stood on a street corner listening to the needs and wants of the public. They suffered intense questioning as well as heckling. They knew exactly what their constituents wanted because they were open to being told.
In a present day where policies are made and implemented, and Prime Ministers are assigned, all without consulting the people, I say – Bring Back the Soapbox. I would love to see our politicians on street corners where questions from the public are not organized prior to the event, and audiences are not canvassed for supporters. I want the ordinary people to feel as though they have been heard, not pandered to, ignored, or manipulated by media spin doctors.
I thoroughly enjoyed Paula Vince’s novel ‘Best Forgotten’. The concept of waking up with no idea who you are; where you belong; or even an awareness of your own personality traits, is a captivating concept. Paula combines a character suffering with amnesia with a multitude of twists and turns in storyline and theme. The story kept me reading and left me looking forward to her next book.
A young accident victim wakes up in hospital and can’t remember who he is. Why does he have nothing in common with his family? Why does he despise the person he was supposed to be? Why has his best friend disappeared without a trace? Is somebody after him?
His family can offer no solutions. His girlfriend is strangely aloof and he cannot shake off a feeling that the answers will prove more unpleasant than his amnesia. Somehow he must find out as it seems time is running out.
Paula Vince has woven elements of secrecy and suspense with her trademark warmth and compassion. Best Forgotten is an inspirational masterpiece you won’t forget.
1) Amnesia fascinates me. What kind of research did you embark upon in order to bring the main character’s disorder to life?
I searched for amnesia on the internet. My hero’s amnesia is the most extensive type in which he has forgotten all he ever knew about himself, including his identity. It was interesting to learn that this is most often caused by severe emotional stress, in which a person’s mind temporarily shuts down memories rather than cope with the pain they involve. Sudden accidents are responsible to a lesser degree. As he suffered both a horrific ordeal (which the plot reveals later) and a head injury, it fitted in well with my story.
I also needed to do some police research. I phoned a friend in the force to ask him, “How would you go about finding the identity of a young amnesia patient who’d been taken to hospital with no form of ID?” Writing novels has broadened my education.
2) “Best Forgotten” won the CALEB prize for literature last year. How has this (well deserved) acknowledgement impacted your writing life?
It was extremely timely. Earlier in the year, I’d contemplated giving up writing. Ten years on the job coupled with financial difficulties, as my husband was studying full-time, almost convinced me that it was a futile pursuit. During that stage, while I was having withdrawal symptoms from not writing and missing the work on my stories, I won an award for an earlier novel, Picking up the Pieces, which had first been published ten years ago. Later, as you said, I won the CALEB prize for Best Forgotten. Two awards in one year after never receiving any recognition for a decade of work has convinced me that it is ALWAYS too soon to pull the plug on what you love doing.
3) I believe both readers and writers alike learn lessons from a story. What did you learn from writing “Best Forgotten”?
I’m sure I learned some lessons from being in my characters’ heads. When my hero regains his memory, the realization dawns on him that although amnesia was scary, he was happier in many important ways than the person he used to be before his accident. When he remembers the thoughts he used to think, he realizes they were doing him no good. He chooses to purposely discard some of the memories and thoughts that were making him bitter and obnoxious. It occurred to me that we don’t need a week with no memories to learn the same lesson.
4) Can you share what you are working on at present?
It’s a contemporary novel tentatively called Along for the Ride. The hero is a young computer programmer who has been given a medical diagnosis that rocks his world. As his friends and family sink into grief and begin to regard him in past tense while he’s still with them, he uncovers some biblical principles of healing and divine health which he’s never considered before. Meanwhile, the female interest is a young woman who has traveled halfway round the world to correct a wrong she committed in her childhood. Neither of them realise that their paths will entwine and how awesome the road they’re embarking on will be. I feel as if I’m along for a ride myself.
5) Who stocks “Best Forgotten”
As well as Christian bookstores across Australia, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and the Book Depository stock both paperbacks and kindle versions.
Thank you, Paula. We would love for you to leave a comment.
Amanda Deed’s latest release ‘Ellenvale Gold’ was a prime read for me these last few months. I loved her strong characters, and the way Amanda weaves history and lives together into a wonderfully colourful storyline. Amanda was good enough to answer some questions about her latest story; her writing; and her life. Both Amanda and I would love for you to leave a comment. And please seek out a copy of ‘Ellenvale Gold’ when next you are looking for a captivating story that is well worth the purchase.
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.
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?
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
will Penny’s faith prevail?
The main female character in ‘Ellenvale Gold’ is a very strong willed woman. How hard is it to portray strength and independence in female characters of period storylines, and still appeal to today’s modern woman?
It can be a challenging one, because there weren’t many females in the workforce back then. It was very much wife and mother lifestyle. That is why I chose a pioneering kind of situation – it forges the character to independence and strength. I have read about several women pioneers and man did they work hard. I think those kind of characters appeal to the modern woman who desires to be recognised as more than a baby-making, house-cleaning machine. 🙂
A lot of us look back on the gold rush era of Australian history and think of it as a romantic time, when in fact, it was very hard. What was one aspect of this era that struck you when researching for ‘Ellenvale Gold’.
Reading about Ballarat was amazing. Many women went there with the expectation of finding domestic service work, only to discover there were mostly men there and living in tents to make it worse. Sadly, many of those women resorted to prostitution to survive. They were nick-named the fallen angels.
Other challenges the miners faced were harsh treatment from the Police in regards to the licences, bad water, expensive food, and the elusive chase after gold.
What was one of the main themes you wanted to clearly portray in ‘Ellenvale Gold’?
That we should walk in humility rather than pride. As it says in Philippians 2:5-8, we should have the mindset of Christ who, in spite of being equal with God, made himself nothing, even a servant, and then submitted himself to death on the cross. We need to learn to not look down on others, no matter what their past or current circumstance makes them appear to be.
There seems to be the opening for a sequel to the novel – it that something we can look forward to?
Yes. The sequel is tentatively called “Black Forest Gold” and is all about Penny’s brother, Tony Worthington, and his encounter with kidnappers, bushrangers, Indigenous Australians and a fiery, Spanish girl called Estella. All going well, it should be available later this year.
Where can we find a copy of ‘Ellenvale Gold’?
“Ellenvale Gold” is available through all Christian bookstores and also on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. For more information, go to www.amandadeed.com.au or see my blog at http://amanderings.wordpress.com.
Thank you, Amanda.
Lately I’ve been wondering about natural instincts and predispositions. I am not very technically minded. My instinct is to be passionate. At school I was either the one sitting at the back of the class ‘off with the fairies’, or talking too much to the person beside me. This natural predisposition to withdraw into my imagination, or be overly communicative, meant I was very good at creative pursuits, like Drama and English, but bad at formal ones like Math and Science.
I used to think that writing was just the ability to tell a good story. There is no doubt that the Lord gave me more than my fair share of imagination. Story telling is as natural to me as breathing. However, the ‘technicalities’ of writing, (grammar, spelling, sentence construction); are all aspects I need to learn more about and improve upon.
Certainly, you can have the most well written book in the world, but if it lacks imagination it’s going to lack appeal. But then you can also have the most captivating story in the world and if it is poorly edited, it will be disregarded.
I admit that I will most likely never have an aptitude for technical aspects. But we all have challenges to our natural instincts. Learning curves are important because without them there is no growth. I think understanding your natural instincts and working with them, is half the battle. A good dose of discipline and a prayer for help to overcome what is lacking is also vital.
What are your natural instincts? Knowing them is a great step towards understanding who you are, and what motivates you.
I’ve just come back from a few days on Daydream Island Resort and Spa (see link on side of page). The weather was sensational, the spa was intensely relaxing, the food was delicious, and the mock tails were fruitiful. (I highly recommend the experience). Sitting by the ocean as the waves lapped the shore, I wondered how life could get much better than this? Here in this tropical paradise I didn’t have to clean, cook, keep my child entertained, stress about business, or have a care in the world. It was with some heavy sighing that I made my way back to ‘reality’. Due to the fact that we run our own business, my husband was unable to join me on this three day get away. In any case, it was a girls’ retreat. I didn’t anticipate the humbling I received when I stepped foot in my door. My husband had tidied the house, done the washing and there was a delicious stew on the stove. It made me realize that as much as it was a pleasure to get away from ‘it all’ – it was a heart moment to get back to ‘it all’. How blessed I am that at times, life is truly a ‘daydream’.
Did you wonder about Samara in ‘Back to Resolution’? To refresh your memory – she was one of the causes of Flynn’s past trouble. The daughter of local cop, Bob, Samara is only every spoken about in ‘Back to Resolution’. She fled Kiisay Point suddenly, leaving a myriad of trouble in her wake.
Samara intrigued me from the moment she popped into my head. I knew I had to put her story on paper.
If you enjoyed ‘Back to Resolution’ I am confident that you will not be disappointed with ‘Beyond Resolution’ due for release in April 2012.
I have been told on numerous occasions to ‘get off my soapbox.’ Stating your view was encouraged in my family, and my love of talking complemented this. But I recently had an instance where I seriously questioned my petulance to voice opinion. So I ask – when is it okay to speak up, and when is it better to shut the trap?
My first answer to this question was – when it doesn’t hurt anyone. Premeditated words aimed at hurt or destruction is as violent as physical attack. Let’s place these instances aside as something that should never happen.
So when to speak? I found this a really hard question to answer. There are so many sides to the argument.
I hate the thought that offence is taken at my opinion. But if we never speak for fear of offence, then there’s a good chance that we may never speak at all. There will always be someone who has a differing opinion (and this must also be respected).
I have also contemplated that if no one ever voiced opinion, what would become of our political system, social constraints or laws? It makes sense as humans to question things we don’t agree with. We have a natural predisposition to do so.
Then there is the argument against speaking out. We do live in a politically correct society. Our words could be interpreted as mentally unstable, or worse – discriminatory. What we say may could be misconstrued, or pegged as bigotry. Fear of this has to be an overwhelming deterrent. Not to mention, the foolishness of being drawn into a fruitless argument.
I think perhaps the answer lies in a relatively simple concept. You can respect something or someone, but not necessarily agree with what is represented or said.
I don’t think it’s completely unimaginable to love someone while disagreeing with their words or deeds. As parents we correct our children because we don’t agree with their behavior, but we still love them. We may not agree with a political party or organization, but we don’t set out to lynch their leaders. We don’t always agree with the way others live their lives, but we don’t hate them for it, and respect their right to live in peace and happiness.
So – when to speak? I’m thinking perhaps when we can extend both grace and opinion. What do you think?
Rose Dee. Author. Redemptive Fiction 