Tuesday, November 17, 2009



And the winners are....

Well, the results are in, and we have our winners in the
 "Name that Character" competition.
Many thanks to those who played the game with me last week and suggested names. You were great sports and I am thrilled you helped me out. As the days went by I found myself thinking about how I could use all the names. 
Yes, I bonded with these 'wannabe' characters and decided my nameless male and female characters needed a family as well. So it is with great pleasure I announce the Lynne family, Amos and Agnes, with their children Anthony, Esther and Irene. I did end up using more than I first promised and I guess that happens when you have a soft spot for the names and the real life people who inspired them.
All were written on slips of paper, put into a bowl and drawn under my own supervision. No bribery or corruption took place, and I was more then satisfied with the results! 

Now that we have our winners, I can safely say, those left in the blue bowl do not come away empty handed. They stay on the short list as standby names for those determined characters who sneak up on a writer while they are working, and insist they be written in. I just know Lady Laviah Darvell is lurking in the shadows. As is Adam Grenville. Does he sound like a school teacher to you? Is Matilda his wife or child? Something tells me they will let me know when the time is right. 

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Is your name the one I'm looking for?





A good name is more desirable than great riches;
 to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
 Proverbs 22:1

When a friend asked me if I would name a character in my book after him, I had a good laugh and then politely told him why I couldn't use his modern sounding name in a story set in the 1870's.  But as a last name it would work well, as a significant explorer with that same surname did pass through Victorian waters during the early part of the 1800s and was instrumental in the naming of a few coastal towns. 

Later as I thought about it some more, I discovered I like the idea of naming a character or two after people who are following my writing adventures. Your encouragement keeps me writing, and I want to share the fun around.


So today I invite you, as a follower of this blog to enter for the chance to win
  'a character name in Dorothy's novel'. 
If your name is true to the time period between 1850 and 1870 in colonial Australia, then I will be happy to place it in the hat for the final draw, this Saturday 14th November.
If your first name is too modern, you may enter your middle name, surname or even your maiden name if it is more suitable. If you've got nothing for me, I am happy to consider your dog's name or even your street name -  if it will work!
I have one male and one female character who are nameless at this point and they need to make an appearance soon. You can suggest a first name and/or surname, as your own name inspires you.
I look forward to your suggestions. :)

Friday, November 06, 2009

Do you want to get lost in a book?


Just before I turned 9, my Uncle Peter asked me what I wanted for my birthday. It was an easy question. All I wanted was a book. I knew, just like the girl reading by the window, that stories could take me anywhere in the world, while I was safely tucked in my own bed. Uncle Peter generously gave me about 10 books that year, all Enid Blyton titles including the Famous Five and the Secret Seven. Adventures in England with well known fictional friends darting among the hedgerows and eating peaches from tins, became mine to savor during winter evenings and "Just one more chapter?" became my nightly plea before lights out. Opening the first few pages of a new book and knowing there were nine more waiting for me was such a delicious feeling. I still experience this same delight when I read today. I never come home from the bookshop or library with a single book and orders from Amazon always arrive in bundles.


If you're wondering what to read while you wait for my novel to be released (just kidding there. sort of), I've come across a great new blog which will inspire you, no matter what fiction genre you're interested in.
The International Christian Fiction Writers have launched their new blog to promote Christian fiction with a global flavor. They shine the spotlight on more than twenty international  authors who take the reader to a world beyond our respective borders. 
You may be looking for an Australian outback romance, or an African suspense, or even the recent release from Nick Daniels, set in nineteenth century London, The Gentleman's Conspiracy. 
Who is Nick Daniels you ask? A great interview with him and review of his work can be found on the blog.
While these writers represent global settings which are miles apart, they are bound by one unifying goal;

Writing fiction with a foreign flair, for His glory.


As author bios begin to appear, I can tell there is a wealth of amazing writers to be featured in the weeks to come, whose desire is to be used by God through their writing. 
 If you're lucky you may even win one of the titles being reviewed in the month of November. Your input is valued too. What are you reading and what do you want to see more of? The good people at the International Christian Fiction Writers want to know what you're thinking when you look for Christian fiction. 

What I want is an experience like the girl in the picture. I want to forget where I am and be totally immersed in a story which transports me far away from my reality. If it's set in the 1800s, even better. I also want to see how people grow and learn through the life lessons God brings their way. I want to see people fall in love with each other and with God. And I want a happy ending. 
You may have different preferences. 
I'm sure you will find something which you won't be able to resist when you explore what the International Christian Fiction Writers have to offer.