April 2012 Newsletter

Hello and welcome to my first newsletter. If you have found your way here from my website, thank you for taking time out of your busy day to follow the link here; if you've come via my personal blog, I am grateful for your faithfulness; and finally, if you have come via a search engine, I am humbled that you took the time and made the effort to find me.

Readers have asked me what happens to Katie and Samuel and I feel that I need to respond. There is another book – two actually – in the Distant Land series, but despite all my best efforts, these have not yet been published.

When the second book was submitted to Ark House Press, the economy had taken a downhill turn, and Ark House made the decision not to commit to publishing novels for a time. I found another interested publisher, but to cut a long story short, I recently resubmitted the manuscript to Ark House Press. Currently I’m waiting to hear “Yay” or “Nay”. As soon as I know, I’ll let you know. But be assured that Katie, Samuel and Rhiannon’s story does continue. I hope you will enjoy what is in store.

I know that whatever happens, our God is in control. I trust and believe that there is a reason for this delay … and thank you – my readers - for your patience.

As I write this, I can’t help but reflect on how God has shown His goodness to my family yet again. Less than a week ago my husband, our two youngest sons, a friend of our youngest son, and I were involved in a car accident. Given the circumstances, it’s a miracle that we were all unhurt and able to walk away from the scene. We thank God for His goodness and mercy and everlasting love.

God has also blessed us abundantly in so many other ways. Since To A Distant Land was published, another beautiful daughter-in-law has joined our family and two more gorgeous granddaughters. Another grandchild is due early October. I am grateful that God has allowed us to still be here to enjoy these incredible little beings and to watch our family grow and change.

My husband and I have also experienced a number of changes, not the least our youngest son leaving home. I will not deceive you: we were dreading it. But it has been exciting to see our children mature and go out into the world on their own - confident and responsible - and we have discovered that this is but just another stage in our life together.

If you're interested in learning more about the author who penned the story of Katie and Samuel, please feel free to visit my Personal Blog. Here you will find that I am just a very ordinary person with faults and struggles like everyone else. Please leave a comment if you do drop by.

What does my writing hold for me this year? Well I would love to see my second novel published ... but that is in God's Hands and I will try to wait patiently on Him. I have a fourth novel that is all but finished which I am itching to get back to. And then ... hopefully more ideas, more writing, more words. I love the whole process of writing from the ideas and research to the writing and to the editing. It is when I'm engrossed in writing that I feel that this is what I was created for.

If you have a dream to write: never give up. Keep writing and reading and writing and reading. Pursue your dream. Whether your writing touches millions or just a few, if it's what God has called you to do, don't be sidetracked. Go for it!

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13, NKJV).

Blessings,

Julianne Jones

Another Long Wait

It seems I've spent the majority of my writing career waiting ... and I doubt that will change any time soon. For someone who is not naturally patient, I'm learning a lot about patience and to wait on the Lord.

This past week I've been re-reading MaryAnn Minatra's Alcott Legacy series. I love her books and wish she'd write a lot more. The characters, the plot, her way with words, all inspire me to be a better writer. Perhaps someday ...

Meanwhile I'm waiting to hear from my editor re the second book in my Distant Land series and yesterday I finished self-editing the third - and perhaps final - book in the series.

I've also started another book completely different to anything I've ever written before. Not historical but social issues this time. I just hope I can do the story justice.

I Think

I think I may have just typed the last word for book three in the Distant Land series. After months of suspense and agony and nail biting (not literally) and not being able to find the right word, it's finally done.

I think I've done a good job. Not great. Not a bestseller. But good.

Now it just needs now to be edited.

And edited.

And edited.

And EDITED.

Perhaps that's why the elation I was so sure I was going to feel when I hit SAVE is missing.

Or perhaps it's because having written that last word I now have to go and cook dinner and pick up the mail off the floor and fold the washing and ...

53 And Still Counting

Fifty three thousand words that is. And still counting. Still writing.

In recent days I've passed the fifty thousand word mark for my latest manuscript, which means I'm now on the homeward stretch. It's a great feeling.

I don't think I'm alone in saying that there gets a point in every book where the author feels that the end will never come. The excitement of beginning a new book, the initial ideas, the inspiration has dried up; there are gaps in the storyline; the characters won't cooperate; and it doesn't look as if it will ever come together.

But it does - sometimes as if almost by magic - and suddenly the end is in sight. But it's only a small respite. Once the last word has been penned the agony is about to start: editing.

But I won't think about that now. Instead, I'll think about typing that last word and how that will feel after months of slogging away at the computer.

CALEB Prize Short List is Up

A few months back I entered my novel in the CALEB Prize for published books. Today I received the email with the news that I'm on the short list!

If you want to see who else made the short list (including some well-known Australian authors) check it out.

New Review

Scroll part-way down the page to read the review for my novel that I entered in the CALEB Book Prize. Please feel free to check it out.

Second Attempt

I'm currently printing off almost 300 pages so that I can resubmit my second manuscript to a publisher. I'm realistic enough to realise the chances of a publisher taking on a sequel are relatively slim but I also believe that with God all things are possible.

I'll just leave it in His Hands and wait.