What’s Happening In Narelle’s World?
Dear Friends,
Welcome to mid-May! Winter is coming and I've been busy spring cleaning my home while the autumn leaves are falling in our garden. The lingering fog from this morning here in Canberra, Australia, has cleared, and I'm enjoying a lovely crisp and sunny afternoon.
In April I experienced a short dose of hot and humid weather in Brisbane when I attended the CASQ (Christian Author Showcase Queensland). I was in summer clothing and stood out as a "Southerner" lol. I always appreciate the relaxed and friendly Queensland vibe when I head north to writing conferences.
My dear friend, Rose Dee, and I presented a workshop on indie publishing and marketing. Rose is from North Queensland and we hadn't seen each other since I last attended an in-person conference in 2022. It was wonderful to catch up with old friends and connect with writers who embraced the "Flourish" weekend theme. My suitcase was heavy with books I purchased at the Showcase and I'm looking forward to reading them.
I'm plugging along with my Read the Bible in a Year Challenge. My goal is to listen to the daily readings in The One Year Chronological Bible and the encouraging Daily Bible Podcast - Audio Bible Reading Plan episodes with Tricia Goyer and her friend Michelle. In recent days I've been listening to Psalms.
Fan Girling with Narelle
Visit the Podcast Page on my website for links to my podcast and YouTube episodes. Here are the links to my recent episodes.
Ep. 14 – Love Contemporary Romance: The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter
Ep. 13 – Love Contemporary Romance: First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer
Ep. 12 – Love Contemporary Romance: The Voice We Find by Nicole Deese
Ep. 11 – Love Contemporary Romance: Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham
Ep. 10 – Love Contemporary Romance: Easter in Gilead Series
Book Recommendations
I’ve shared a few fiction book recommendations on my blog since I sent out my last newsletter.
Book Recommendation – These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan
Book Recommendation – The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter
Book Recommendation – First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer
For those interested in learning about Christian fiction new releases, I also compile a monthly new releases post on my blog — Christian Fiction New Releases - May 2025.
I have a Friday weekly blog series showcasing books on preorder. Here are the links to my recent "Narelle's Preorder Roundup" blog posts:
Narelle’s Preorder Roundup: 5/16/25
Narelle’s Preorder Roundup: 5/9/25
Narelle’s Preorder Roundup: 5/2/25
Narelle’s Preorder Roundup: 4/25/25
Paperback Giveaway - The Voice We Find or Break My Fall
My contemporary Christian romance selection is The Voice We Find by Nicole Deese, the third book in her Fog Harbor Romance series set in Northern California wine country. The series books are connected by a delightful character, Chip, who's an editor for Fog Harbor Books in San Francisco. The books are standalone romance stories that could be read in any order. I hope Nicole writes Chip's romance story because I'd love to read it! August is a sound engineer and guardian of his sixteen year old sister. Sophie’s Broadway career is over and her dire financial situation forces her to move home and work at the family winery. I recommend The Voice We Find to contemporary romance readers who like forced proximity romances with depth that deal with family drama, prodigal themes, and have strong faith elements in the story. Read my book recommendation here:
https://www.narelleatkins.com/book-recommendation-the-voice-we-find-by-nicole-deese/
My alternative selection is Break My Fall, the second book in Lynn H. Blackburn's Gossamer Falls romantic suspense series set in North Carolina. Meredith Quinn is a dentist who moved back home to Gossamer Falls to help her family when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Gray is the police chief who moved to town a few years ago and has a complicated relationship with Meredith. Gray has concerns about the criminal activities taking place in the county next door. I recommend Break My Fall to romantic suspense readers who like small town second chance romances with unrequited love, family drama, an intriguing suspense plot, and a relevant faith element in the story. Read my book recommendation here:
https://www.narelleatkins.com/book-recommendation-break-my-fall-by-lynn-h-blackburn/
The paperback giveaway is open to readers with USA and Australian mailing addresses who can receive paperback books from Amazon USA or Amazon Australia. The choice of book is subject to availability from Amazon.
I’m happy to substitute an ebook for readers who live outside USA and Australia, as long as they have digital access to ebooks at either Amazon USA or Amazon Australia and can redeem an Amazon gift card for the equivalent US or Australian ebook price at the US or Australian store.
To enter the giveaway, please reply to this email by MAY 24, 2025 (USA Pacific West Coast Time Zone) and include your first name and the name of the country where you live and include the book title (The Voice We Find or Break My Fall) that you'd like to win.
The winner will be contacted by MAY 29, 2025 to arrange the delivery of their paperback book.
Our APRIL gift card winners are Carolyn P and Jan H.
Questions for You
Do you prefer reading series books with connected characters or series books that are standalone stories and connected by setting or theme?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and I will do my best to reply to your emails within 7 days. If I receive an undelivered email message, I’ll try again and send a second reply. If you don’t receive a reply from me, please let me know because emails can go astray. You can contact me via my website.
May Featured Author ~ Melanie D. Snitker
I've enjoyed reading Melanie's books and I'm happy to share that MARRYING ABBY is available as a FREE ebook download for her newsletter subscribers.
Here's a recommendation for one of Melanie's books at my blog:
Book Recommendation – Finding Peace by Melanie D. Snitker
Claim your free ebook at the following link:
https://dl.bookfunnel.com/n5bqbb6329
I'm sponsoring a quarterly gift card giveaway at the ACW blog for Tuesday Book Chat posts. Check out the ACW book chat posts here:
https://australasianchristianwriters.com/category/book-chat/
Final Thoughts
Thank you for journeying with me on my often crazy and challenging book publishing journey. If you’re a praying person, I’d love continued prayers for my health and also prayers for a family member who's undergoing a surgical procedure in the coming days. I'm enjoying my podcasting journey and I'm hoping to return to my writing soon. In April I loved catching up with my family in Brisbane. I have appreciated all your email replies, prayers, good thoughts, and support.
Blessings and love to you,
Narelle xo
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