Celebrated since the 1800s in Australia, Australia Day can mean different things to different people. It can be a celebration of the formation of a modern nation, the mourning of the loss of land and culture for many of the first peoples, an acknowledgement of the diversity and contribution of immigrants from around the world to our nation.

For many it’s an excuse for a barbie, a day at the beach and  having a good time.

And here is one more thing to celebrate this Australia Day — a celebration of  Christian writers through a fantastic giveaway of twelve books by Australian authors and/or set in Australia.  Books I’ve read and enjoyed or that are on my to-read list. And one of them is mine.

The Books

Akrad’s Children by Australian author Jeanette O’Hagan – a YA epic fantasy with courtly intrigue, a touch of romance and imagination – set in the world of Nardva.

The Boy in A Hoodie by Catriona McKeown – a contemporary YA novel set in Queensland

A New Resolution by Rose Dee – romantic suspense set in central to north Queensland

Too Pretty by Andrea Grigg – a Christian romance set in NSW

Then There Was You by Kara Isaac -  a contemporary romance set in Sydney

The Bridesmaid’s Hero (A Snowgum Creek Novella) by Narelle Atkins – a sweet romance set in the Snowy Mountains

Charter to Redemption by DJ Blackmore – a historical romance set in Sydney

Grace in Strange Disguise by Christine Dillon – contemporary fiction set in Sydney, that asks some big questions

Blaze in the Storm by Jenny Glazebrook – a contemporary YA that has circuses and horses

The Elusive Miss Ellison by Australian author Carolyn Miller – a regency romance

The Manse by Meredith Resce – historical romance set in colonial Australia

Waltzing Matilda by Lucy Thompson (in The Captive Bride book set) – historical romance set in Sydney

Why not discover new authors and enter the giveaway to win books and $50 Amazon Gift Card?

Happy Australia Day!

Enter

Mirren Hogan is releasing her historical novel based on the Russian woman pilots who flew during World War II, defending their country from the German army. Mirren and I shared tutorial groups at Swinburne and she co-edited Tied in Pink and Like a Girl Anthologies. While Mirren’s favourite genre is fantasy, she writes great historical fiction. And as with Hidden Figures (the Afro-American ‘human computers’ instrumental to NASA’s early space program), the Night Witches are an interesting but little known part of history.

Mirren says:

“What is Night Witches about? Witches? Well no, it’s an historical fiction based on a true story.

Nadia Valinsky is a young female pilot and university education student from Moscow. When the Germans invade the Soviet Union in 1941, she wants to fight to defend her country. In October of 1941 Marina Raskova, a famous female aviator, asks for volunteers, Nadia signs up. She is accepted for an interview and offered a place in the training regiment as a navigator.

Following rigorous training at Engles Air Force base, Nadia is assigned to the Night Bomber regiment. She and her crew fly multiple missions on the front lines and are regularly under fire from anti-aircraft guns. The Germans give them the nickname Night Witches, because of the sound their aircraft make as they sweep overhead.

In this Night Witches excerpt, Nadia and the other women learn the German name for them:

“German prisoner,” she whispered excitedly. “A flying ace, apparently. He was shot down and captured by our people. He’s being transported to a prisoner of war camp.”

I had no sympathy at all for the fate of one of our enemy, until I saw him. He had dried blood down one side of his face, from a wound in his temple. I didn’t think the wound would be a fatal one. He had one black eye and bruising around the other. He wore a dirty, torn German uniform, the front of which was caked with mud or blood. He had short blonde hair and deep blue eyes, which he kept lowered, I assumed, in humiliation. Even so, I was shocked to see how young he was. Younger than me. Younger even than the babies of my regiment. He couldn’t have been more than fifteen or sixteen.

The enemy were sending children to war, and we were sending him to a prisoner of war camp, in which he would probably die. I swallowed hard. I’d never seen a German up close before. From the air, it was easy to forget they were people as well. For a moment, I was actually sympathetic. I almost wanted to tell his captors to let him go, return him to his mama.

And then he raised his eyes. They were so cold and full of hate. They fixed on me and then swept left and right, taking in my regiment. His lip curled and he spat on the ground.

“Nachthexen,” he said derisively. “Ihr dreckigen Miststücke!”

I didn’t understand German, but I knew when I’d been insulted. It was peculiar how words could offend, even when I didn’t understand their meaning. The intent was perfectly clear.

My eyes narrowed, but opened wide again in surprise when Valentina burst out laughing.

I turned my face and stared at her. So did the prisoner, he looked at her as though she were something he’d scraped off the bottom of his boot. Considering the state of his boots, that was particularly unflattering.

“He called us Night Witches,” Valentina explained. “I think Night Beauties would be more appropriate, but oh well.” She shrugged, but her eyes shone with humour.

“Why did he say that?” I asked, frowning at her, and at him.

She spoke to him in rapid German, to which, to my surprise, he actually responded.

“Because our planes sound like broomsticks passing overhead,” she translated. “He also said there’s a special reward for anyone who shoots one of us down.”

My eyebrows rose. The German army was that scared of us girls. I somewhat liked the sound of the nickname: Night Witches. It suited us, and justified the faith people like Marina Raskova had in us. We’d made an impact on this war.

I couldn’t help but smile at the prisoner, who returned it with a scowl. Antonina gave him a finger wave and we all laughed as he was taken to a waiting truck. He might die, but he’d managed to give us all a renewed purpose. I’m quite sure that hadn’t been his plan, but that had been the outcome.

I linked arms with the rest of my crew and we started back toward our aircraft, laughing and singing “Night Witches, Night Witches,” over and over again.

Buy Night Witches at:

Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/Night-Witches-Mirren-Hogan/dp/1988281164/

Barnes and Noble- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/night-witches-mirren-hogan/1124869702

Mirren is running giveaway – open until 31st March.

COMPETITION!

The winner will get: Amazon gift card (currently at $15), a Night Witches mug from Redbuddle, and a Night Witches bookmark.

If the winner is in Australia, you’ll also get a signed copy of the paperback, and a key ring.

Author bio

Mirren Hogan lives in NSW Australia with her husband, two daughters, dog, cat, rabbits and countless birds. She has a Bachelor of Arts (English/ history), a Graduate Diploma of Arts (writing) and a couple of degrees in education. She writes fantasy, urban fantasy and science fiction. Her debut novel —Crimson Fire— was released by The Dragon’s Rocketship Publishing in October 2016, with more to come. These include a trilogy co-authored by Erin Yoshikawa. She’s also had several short stories published and has co-edited two charity anthologies; for breast cancer research and Plan Australia.

Mirren Hogan’s author page- https://www.facebook.com/MirrenHoganAuthor/

It’s January again … the start of a new year and time for month of poetry again.  In Month of Poetry, I – with a bunch of wild, talented, inspiring poets – challenge ourselves to writing a poem each day of the month.

Over the last couple of months, I’ve felt like my poems have needed more variety in form – so as an added challenge, I’m experimenting with a different form each day. I’m also in the middle of editing for publication my novel Akrad’s Children. Here’s my Day 15 poem – a List poem.

A Novel Cake

Take a modicum of talent

a cup full of dreams

and hard work in equal measure,

mix together vigorously.

Stir in two aspirations well beaten

and half a cup of constructive feedback

until reaching a smooth and creamy consistency.

Add chopped metaphors (never mixed) to taste.

and a pinch of optimism.

Bake well in the scorching oven of opinion.

When cool, sprinkle with crystallised hopes.

Allow to settle to release the flavours

and garnish with a swirl of revision.

Serve with a generous side of promotion.

.

Warning this cake may cause tears but has been known to be addictive.

.

Jeanette O’Hagan 15 January 2017

Exploring Poetry Forms

1.  Free Verse – No Man’s Land

2. Acrostic

3. Ballad

4. Cinquain

5. Diamante or Diamond poem

6. Echo poem

7.  Saturday Challenge – Single Sense Poem –

8. Found Poem – Book Titles

9. Ghazal

10. Haibun.

11. Imayo

12. Joybell

13. Kyrielle

14. Saturday Challenge – theme Kiss – a Sevenling

15. List poem

16. Mirror (or Palindrome) poem

17. Nonet

18. Ode

19. Pantoum

20. Qasida

21. Saturday challenge – poem based on photo – free verse

22. Rispetto

23. Sijo

24. Tyburn

25. Utendi

26. Vietnamese Sonnet

27. Wordsworth Sestet

28. Saturday Challenge – non-fiction poem – a Shardorma

29. Xiasmic

30. Ya Du

31. ZaniLa Rhyme

Form, theme and emotion – all play a part in poetry. Some poems are clever, some straight from the heart. So far, it’s been fun stretching myself, finding new forms, pushing the edges of where the possibilities lie.

What about you – do you love to write poetry? What are you favourite forms? Have you always wanted to give it a go?

Jenny

2015 has been full of a number of exciting developments, particularly with respect to writing.

I attended a number of workshops, festivals, conferences and retreats in 2015 – including giving my first workshop on Writing Description, Giving a Sense of Place at the Omega Christian Writers Conference in October.

In July I finished my final subject for the Masters of Arts (Writing) through Swinburne University of Technology. I flew down to Melbourne in December to attend the graduation ceremony – and to connect with family, friends and look at Art Galleries with my daughter.

Seven of my poems have been published this year.  I was particularly pleased to make the Judge’s Choice with Poetica Christi’s Inner Child anthology (with ‘Thunderstorm’) and runner-up in the FAWQ 2015 Toowoomba Poetry Prize (with ‘The Real Thing’).

A number of my short stories have also been published – starting with ‘The Herbalist’s Daughter’ (Tied in Pink anthology for Breast Cancer Research) in December 2014 – and then this year, ‘Broken Promises’ in Another Time, Another Place; ‘Sandy: Perfect Plans’ in Let the Sea Roar; ‘Ruhanna’s Flight’ in Glimpses of Light; and ‘Lakwi’s Lament’ in Like a Girl, Plan anthology.

Anthologies available on Amazon.com (and as e-books on Amazon.com.au). Check out my Amazon Central Author’s Page.

Let the Sea Roar

My association with this Let the Sea Roar began a few years ago, when the editor Madeleine accepted my story ‘Sandy: Perfect Plans’ and then asked to include the poem ‘Lighthouse’ as well. An earlier version of ‘Lighthouse’ was published on Jenny’s Thread in 2013.

There are nine authors with twenty-eight stories about women of different ages, in different circumstances and walks of life, who find themselves in difficult, even overwhelming situations. Despite the pressure to give up hope, each of the women find a way forward – with faith, determination, new understandings and new possibilities. The stories are written with differences in style, reflect different life experiences and insights.

I also had fun designing the cover (with Lynne Bickhoff’s beautiful painting – used with permission) and the book design of Let the Sea Roar.

I hope that many others will also enjoy the stories in this inspirational anthology.

Glimpses of Light

Glimpses of Light celebrates 2015 as International Year of Light. It started as an idea in late 2014 and wouldn’t have come to fruition without hours of work from my co-editor, Nola Passmore as well as our team of supporting editors, proof-readers and contributors.

The anthology has an engaging and inspiration collection of short stories, poems and creative non-fiction centred around the theme of light – especially, of finding light in dark place.

It’s been wonderful having multi-published and award winning authors contributing as well as fresh new talent. I particularly enjoyed the number of spec fic, though there is also contemporary suspense, family drama, personal reflections and allegory.

We are currently holding a Goodreads Giveaway for Glimpses of Light (running until the 10 January).

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Glimpses of Light

by Jeanette O’Hagan

Giveaway ends January 10, 2016.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

I’m looking forward to more exciting developments in 2016. More on that later.

Jenny