Author: | Nola | Published: | over 8 years ago |
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Tags: | poetry, short stories, Glimpses of Light, anthology, flash fiction, creative nonfiction, blog tour | Category: | Blog tour |
Conception to Birth
Earlier in the year, my good friend Jeanette (Jenny) O’Hagan approached me with a great idea.
‘Why don’t we put together an anthology of stories and poems to coincide with the International Year of Light?’
It didn’t take long for Jenny to convince me. The plan was to put out an open call through the Christian Writers Downunder Facebook group. Jenny and I would then assess all submissions and choose the best for the Glimpses of Light anthology, with all profits going to charity. We also had some guest judges on standby so that two people assessed each contribution, including those of the two editors. Two intense rounds of revisions ensued until all of the stories and poems were honed to the best they could be. This was followed by several rounds of proofreading and some behind-the-scenes wrangling with format and the nuances of CreateSpace and Amazon. Then with Christmas in sight and the International Year of Light almost over, our baby was born and launched into the big wide world on 17 December 2015!
The resulting collection was published through By the Light Books and contains ten fictional short stories, three creative nonfiction pieces, three examples of flash fiction and nine poems. Although all of the entries include some reference to light, there is much diversity in the themes and genres—fantasy, contemporary drama, science fiction, family issues, romance, humour, speculative fiction, pathos and regret, inspiration, faith and hope. We’re also thrilled that the profits will go to a worthy cause that fits perfectly with our theme—CBM Australia (formerly Christian Blind Mission International), bringing light and hope to those with disabilities.
As one of the editors, it was a joy to see the book come together. Special thanks to Jenny O’Hagan for her vision and all of her hard work behind the scenes to make the idea a reality. We’re also indebted to our guest judges and proofreaders, and of course our wonderful contributors who handled all of our pedantic suggestions and requests with grace and good humour.
How Can I Get a Copy?
The book is available from Amazon in both print and eBook versions.
Blog Tour Dates
Over the coming weeks, we’d like you to join us on a blog tour hosted by some of our contributors. It promises to be an exciting ride as we hear more about the authors, the inspiration behind their stories, the charity, and much more. There’ll also be prizes to win along the way. Here are the tour dates:
29 Dec - Paula Vince 05 Jan - Jo-Anne Berthelsen 08 Jan - Jeanette O’Hagan 12 Jan - Adam Collings 15 Jan - Charis Joy Jackson 19 Jan - Lynne Stringer 22 Jan - Mimi Emmanuel 26 Jan - Adele Jones 29 Jan - Josephine-Anne Griffiths
This Week’s Giveaway
On this stop of the tour, Tim and I would like to offer a giveaway of one hour of free services from The Write Flourish (i.e. editing, critiquing or proofreading). This could be a single one-hour service or the first hour of a longer job. In order to go into the random draw for the prize, just post a comment below that answers the question ‘What is your favourite genre and why?’ Please note that people involved with the anthology (contributors, judges or proofreaders) are not eligible for the prize, but are of course welcome to leave a comment. Overseas entrants are also welcome as the editing, critiquing or proofreading can be done online. The prize winner will be announced in the comment thread here and on our Facebook page for The Write Flourish next Tuesday 29 December. (N.B. If you haven’t commented on any of The Write Flourish blogs before, just click on the ‘sign up’ tab first to leave your name and email address).
Next Stop on the Tour
So sit back and enjoy the ride to our next destination where we visit with author, blogger and reviewer extraordinaire Paula Vince. Her novel, Picking up the Pieces won the religious fiction section of the International Book Awards in 2011, and Best Forgotten was winner of the CALEB prize the same year. Paula’s contribution to the Glimpses of Light anthology is a creative nonfiction piece entitled Moon People. You can read Paula’s reflections on 29 December. In the meantime, you might like to check out her website The Vince Review.
Comments read 23 comments
So exciting to see this idea become reality. Much appreciation for all the blood, sweat and tears Jeanette and you (and all others involved, too) have invested into making GOL a reality. Can't wait to hold a hard copy in my warm little palm. :)
Thanks Adele. Our task was made so much easier by all of the wonderful contributions from our authors, including your great spec fiction piece. I can't wait to hold a hard copy in my hot little hand either :) Will have to get that order sorted. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
It's very exciting to see the results of everyone's hard work come together at last. I too, am looking forward to getting a hard copy.
Thanks Paula. The book will certainly be something to 'moon' over when it arrives :) Have been seeing moon references everywhere since reading your story.
It was amazing to see how much time and effort goes into publishing a book. Both you and Jeaneter have done a fabulous job of publishing in in time for Christmas! Someone really needs to hurry up and create a teleporter so I don't have to wait for the delivery of the book, haha!
LOL - Thanks Kirsten. We would have been lost without Jenny. She was the one who whipped everything into shape at the end. And yes it would be good if we could get the print copies fast-tracked. Though I have the advantage of having read everyone's stories and poems. Three times in fact! Will still be good to see it in book form. Loved your story. :) Thanks for commenting.
Congratulations on getting the book published.
My favourite genre is non-fiction. I enjoy learning new things as I read.
However in recent times it has been a joy to discover that many of the Aussie Christian fiction books also teach valuable lessons about God and Christian faith which has blessed me.
Thanks for that. I used to read more nonfiction than I currently do, particularly biographies. However, like you, I've also managed to find a lot of novels that teach interesting lessons. Some of the historical novels in particular have taught me a lot of things I didn't already know. And sometimes God has spoken to me through the lessons learned by the hero or heroine in a novel. Thanks for taking the time to comment :)
Great to hear how it all came about, Nola!
Thank you. It was an interesting rollercoaster ride, but with Jenny in the front seat, we couldn't go wrong :) Thanks for taking the time to comment :)
That's a fantastic prize Nola. I've appreciated your eye for detail in editing. And it's been thrilling seeing Glimpses of Light come to life. I love the number of sci-fi/fantasy pieces but I've also enjoyed the thoughtful, gripping poems, the dramatic suspense pieces and the thought provoking creative non-fiction. It's a lovely mix :)
Hi Jenny - Thanks for that. I think it is a great mix, but then I'm biased! You might get a few more converts to fantasy as well as me. Looking forward to the Year of Pulses follow-up :) Thanks for the comment :)
Great idea Jenny. And great blog Nola. What a lot of work you've been doing, both of you. I know God would have been smiling down on you two, seeing all of the energy and skill you've invested in the vision. Bless you both. As for what kind of genre I like most - that is a hard one, because I like all kinds of everything. I think my most enjoyed genre is Adventure/mystery with a touch of romance! :) Well done girls! May the anthology bring healing, hope and blessing to many. And may it also bring the income to help many people around the world.
Thanks Anusha. The job was made easier by our wonderful contributors. I also like the adventure/mystery novels with a touch of romance, like Dee Henderson, Colleen Coble and Terri Blackstock. Have recently read three of Dani Pettrey's Alaskan Courage series too. And yes, I echo those thoughts Anusha. It would be wonderful if the anthology sold well so there would be more money going to CBM. Thanks for taking the time to comment and for persisting with the log in problems. Take care xx
Historical fiction - I just love history and finding out historical details alongside the story.
Thanks for that Chris. I agree that historical fiction is a great way to learn about history. Some of my favourites have been Tracy Chevalier, Geraldine Brooks and Kate Morton. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Thank you for sharing your journey and process. HARD WORK! Congratulations! It is hard to settle on a favorite genre. I'm a teacher and I love all kidlit works. But working with children, I've noticed their inclination toward nonfiction . . . historical fiction in particular. And so I've endeavored to write to their interest. Not sure that this answers your question properly. Nevertheless, I'm glad I stopped by after reading Jeanette O'Hagan's post. I'll be staying in touch.
Hi Pamela - Thanks for introducing yourself and leaving a comment.That's interesting that you say you've noticed children's inclination towards nonfiction. I'm working with a seven-year-old girl with the Pyjama Foundation at the moment (a group that helps foster children with reading and other learning activities) and I haven't tried much nonfiction with her yet. Will have to give it a try. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Congratulations to the writing and editing team of this delightful book. I love to read books that are based on true stories, or have themes which inspire me to connect with real people.
Thanks Susanne. I love true stories too and used to read tons of biographies. I probably read more novels no, but even then, I like a novel that deals with real issues. Thanks for taking the time to comment :)
Hi everyone - Thank you for your comments on the blog post. I am pleased to announce that the winner of The Write Flourish giveaway was Pamela Courtney. You have won a one-hour free service from The Write Flourish (i.e. editing, critiquing or proofreading). I will email you later today with the details. All eligible entrants were assigned a number in order of comments and a random entrant was chosen using the random.org number generator. Congratulations Pamela.
Please join us on the next stop on our blog tour with Paula Vince: http://vincereview.blogspot.com.au/
i was so pleased and proud that my son,Adam had his story chosen to be published with such well known authors. He has been writing stories since he started school and has always had a passion for writing. Thank you for recognising new authors and allowing their work to be seen by so many readers.
Thank you Ann. We really loved Adam's story and were very pleased to include it in the anthology. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
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