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Labyrinth Workshops
You know that Shrove Tuesday is only four-and-a-half weeks away, right?
Panic not, fair reader. I have the perfect Lent book for you. You may have seen my upcoming book, 40 Days with Labyrinths, well I have a discount code for you and a choice of two linked workshops. Woo hoo!Here’s the book on Darton, Longman and Todd’s website Get 35% off using the code labyrinth at checkout.
From Jan 27th, it will also be for sale from Amazon, Eden, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones etc and your favourite Christian bookstore (pre-order right now!) I hope to have plentiful supplies at Launde Abbey and Ely Cathedral, where you can walk full-sized labyrinths as well.
I am also running a series of labyrinth workshops to go with the book – the perfect introduction to this ancient spiritual practice and a great way to jump-start your Lent. Here’s a flyer. Right-click to download and share as you will.
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Oooh – get me being all techy!
I know, I know. According to my birth date I should be a Boomer: tech-phobic and scuttling around in sensible shoes paying cash for things and communicating by letter (if not telegraph / messenger pigeon).But I’m not. I count myself a proud Gen X and I’ve got me a shiny new card machine. Cool beans!
So when you catch me at the next book event, I’ll be able to take card payments for all those lovely books (WiFi willing, of course).
Look out for me with my new tech at Launde Abbey at the end of January for the launch of my latest book, 40 Days with Labyrinths published by Darton, Longman and Todd (35% off at their website with code labyrinths). Sneaky-peeky below. Or you can just follow the link and see the whole thing. Kinda spoils the ‘Ooh what’s it like?’ mystery reveal thingy, but the pic looks cool anyway.
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Woo Hoo!
I’m back! I’m back!What do you mean, you hadn’t noticed I was gone? (Sigh. Slump off to a corner and drown my sorrows in a chocolate biscuit.)
But for those of you kind souls who’ve wondered what I’ve been up to since the last post, I’ve been porting this website to a more easily-accessible platform (urgh, tech-hassles!), so posts should be a little more regular now.
It’s not quite there yet. I naively though ‘import all’ would, you know, import it all. Sadly not. But we’re live and kicking – huzzah!
In the next post I’ll tell you about my exciting book launch (A WEEK ON FRIDAY!) and how to get a deep discount on my new book from Darton, Longman and Todd (oh yes, posh publishers – get me!) Sneaky-peaky:
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Ta Daaa!
I’m delighted to report the arrival of triplets, younger siblings to my chart-topping ‘God Is With Us – Everywhere!’ – mother and babies are doing well.~~~
A strange thing happened today – I was alone. Everyone was away. I had no calls on my time, nothing I had to do, and I no one I had to see.
How utterly glorious!
After church, I spent the afternoon camped upstairs (where it’s warmer than my study), watching Enola Holmes, The Imitation Game and Jumani (the new one with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ and that Scottish lass from Dr Who) while checking book proofs.Happy bunny: tea, choccy biccies, internet, and a can of mushroom soup for tea. Life is good. 🙂
And now, slightly square-eyed, I can confirm the final versions are live and available for purchase. Ta-jolly-daaa! The family of four is now complete.
The new books are part of the ‘Nativity-to-Go’ series. A collection of original Nativities, full of laughs with a meaningful message. These scripts are snappy and sassy, modern yet moving.
All books are available from Amazon (links in text) or your favourite bricks-and-mortar store. If they don’t have them in stock, ask them to order in. You can also get (optionally signed) copies from me, subject to stock.
Here is the low-down of all four books.
God Is With Us – Everywhere!A Rhyming Nativity Play
Tells the traditional story of God With Us, with rhyme, funny twists and a heart-felt message. Meet a cool Gabriel, shepherds who think they’ve seen a UFO, and the child who changes everything.
Click here for a PDF sample [God is with us – everywhere sample]
ISBN: 978-1-915150-03-5 (2020)
Christmas Gone Worng!An All-Age Nativity Play
This light-hearted Nativity play tells the traditional Christmas story, but everything goes a bit worng. There is a stroppy Mary, a confused wise man and an angel who … well, you’ll have to read the script to find out.
Click here for a PDF sample [Christmas Gone Worng sample]
ISBN: 978-1-915150-08-0 (2022)
- Amazon Paperback
- Amazon Kindle – coming soon
Away in a SuitcaseA (Twenty) First Century Nativity
A funny, festive yet poignant re-telling of the Nativity story. Mary and Joseph’s hotel room has been double-booked by three visiting foreigners. There are no travel cots left, so they use a suitcase as their baby’s first bed. With a charming transformation to a traditional crib at the end, there won’t be a dry eye in the house.
Click here for a PDF sample [Away in a Suitcase sample]
ISBN: 978-1-915150-10-3 (2022)
- Amazon Paperback
- Amazon Kindle – coming soon
I Saw Three Skits Come Sailing InA Trio of Modern Nativity Plays
You like the title? My eldest daughter thought of it for me. This is a compilation volume of all three titles for a bargain price!
Any of the titles can be purchased from me and signed if required.
all come with permission to duplicated for rehearsals and to put recordings on school or church websites etc.For sample scripts, see above
ISBN: 978-1-915150-12-7 (2022)
- Amazon Paperback
- Amazon Kindle – coming soon
This site contains affiliate links. Anything you buy after following a link will contribute a (tiny) sum to support these free resources. The price you may is the same and no personal data is passed in either direction.
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What am I reading?
The Sentence is Death by Anthony HorowitzInspired by the Sherlock Holmes novels where Watson is both narrator and character, Anthony Horowitz, crime writer, tells a story about Anthony Horowitz, crime writer. He assists (and is perplexed, irritated and annoyed by) ex-DI Daniel Hawthorne in a multi-layer mystery that mixes humour, clues and red herrings, real life and fiction in a smashing smorgasbord.
As well as being a cracking romp of a tale and fun to read, it’s also good for me, as a writer, to see how a master does it.
Part of an interview from the Los Angeles Public Library.
What inspired you to write a series in which you yourself were a character?
When my publisher approached me with the idea of writing a long-running series of whodunits, my first thought was—“what can I do that had never been done before?” Turning myself into the narrator, the Watson to Hawthorne’s Sherlock Holmes, turned the entire genre on its head. Normally the author is powerful and all-knowing. But in these books, I’m the exact opposite. If Hawthorne doesn’t solve the crime, I won’t even have a book! Being in the book makes the whole thing feel fresh and new.
Are there things the Horowitz character has done that you would never do in real life? Or, conversely, are there things you have done/would do, that your character would not?
I sometimes wonder if I even have a real life, so much of it is spent writing.
How close is the Anthony Horowitz character to you, the real Anthony Horowitz? What liberties are you taking in how you are portraying yourself as a character?
I think it’s important to point out that I am not a major character in the book. It’s not a—literal—ego trip! I’m just the narrator and in fact, you don’t learn a great deal about me outside my life as a writer and as a sidekick to a quite difficult detective. But the short answer is that my depiction is 100% accurate—but you may choose not to believe that.
You can read the whole interview here.
The Hawthorne and Horowitz series:
Anthony Horowitz
Bestselling author Anthony Horowitz has written two highly acclaimed Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk and Moriarty; James Bond novels, Trigger Mortis, Forever and a Day and With a Mind to Kill; and the acclaimed crime novel Magpie Murders.He is also the author of the teen spy Alex Rider series, and responsible for creating and writing some of the UK’s most loved and successful TV series including Midsomer Murders and Foyle’s War.
He regularly contributes to a wide variety of national newspapers and magazines on subjects ranging from politics to education. He was awarded an OBE for his services to literature in January 2014.
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They Whisper About Us – an interview with Joy Vee
Book InfoAuthor: Joy Vee
Title: They Whisper About Us
Formats: Paperback and a hardback omnibus of They Whisper About Us and the follow-up The Letters She Never Sent
ISBN: 978-1915034205
Pages: 338
Publication year: 2022
Publisher: Broad Place Publishing
Signed copies available from: www.joyvee.orgInterview
Hi, thanks for giving us your time. We’re here to talk about your book, but first, could you tell us a little about yourself?
Hi! I’m Joy and although I’ve now just moved back to my home-town of Lincoln, I’ve lived in some very exciting places, including seven years living in Ukraine. I have two teenage children and six nephews and nieces, who constantly inspire me.It’s great to meet you, Joy. What was it that prompted you to write the book?
I wrote the book, They Whisper About Us, before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In recent years the laws on religious freedom have tightened up in Russia, meaning that it is actually illegal to share the gospel, even with your own children. I wanted to look at that closer, recalling a time in Russia’s past when such actions could lead to arrest and exile. It’s written as a Christian teen fiction. During lockdown, my husband and I spent time with our teenage daughter, reading books she enjoyed, and watching films she liked. We were struck with how dark and difficult the issues were. I think that sometimes we don’t fully appreciate how life for our teenagers is different from when we were young. I wanted to write a gritty book, dealing with life and death issues, but ultimately from a Christian world view.Wow! That’s quite a storyline! What do you hope that people will get out of reading your book?
The biggest thing is a sense of compassion for people who have less religious freedom than we do, and a heart to pray for the Russian church, especially in these difficult times. It is easy for us to pray with compassion for Ukraine right now, but the church in Russia also needs our prayers.That’s right on message for today. If you could sum up the message of your book in one sentence, what would it be?
There are many things we may not understand, but God is able to make all things beautiful in His time.Absolutely! And finally, if Hollywood were to come knocking on your door, which actors would you be hiring?
Oh, I really don’t know! Maybe Euan McGregor in the role of Fay’s father.From the Blurb
A tea tin.
Owned by one girl,
Found by another,
Over half a century later.
What mysteries does it hide?
An intriguing split time-line story, alternating between Leningrad in 1960s and modern day England. Vera dreams of rising thorough the Kirov Ballet and maybe becoming a People’s Artist.
Fay is a pastor’s kid, disillusioned with her parents’ faith, who attends a theatre summer programme in the hope of improving her skills. The girls’ plans do not work out as they’d hoped, and their lives become entwined when Fay accidentally finds an old tea tin.Mini-Bio
Joy is based in Lincoln, England, but has spent time living in Ukraine and Russia. She writes based on her experiences as a Christian, and most of her books are written for a younger audience.They Whisper About Us is her first full-length novel for an older reader.
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Busy, Busy, Busy
My apologies for not posting recently, folks. I promise I have been writing. In fact, that’s the reason for not posting – I’ve been writing.
In the last 3 months (ie, over June, July and August) I have:- Finished the manuscript for 40 Days with Labyrinths due out in the new year through Darton, Longman & Todd,
- Drawn the artwork for 40 Days and (shriek of panic) cover artwork too! More of this later.
- Finally met my editor at DLT, the adorable David Maloney, … in a 1950s spy swap … on the Glienicke Bridge at midnight … come alone and unarmed, and bring $10,000,000 …
(OK, we met over a latte at Wetherspoons so that I could give him the artwork. Can’t I have a little fun?) - Written the URC’s Midnight Communion service
- Completed the first draft of Story Zero in a children’s series (“Story Zero?” I hear you ask, Yes, indeed!) #MargieMagellan
- Completed second draft of Story One and (very) rough outlines of the rest of the series
- Submitted two academic papers to journals
Taken my daughters to Alton Towers for a ‘last holiday for all of us before they disappear’ (Pic! <3)- Plus various other days out, treats and mini hols with my daughters
- Typeset two more Nativity scripts to go with God Is With Us – Everywhere! plus a compendium book of all three
Look out for Christmas Gone Worng! and Away in a Suitcase, coming soon!) - Guided my 20+ students through GCSE maths and sciences (my goodness, that seems along time ago now)
- and between all that I think I managed to breathe a few times.
Phew! I’m looking forward to the start of term so that I can have a rest!
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Two New Books from Paul W Chilcote
Fill My Heart with Love30 Days of Prayer with Methodist Women
Do you long to draw closer to God in prayer and song? Imagine what a 30-day conversation with devout followers of Jesus might mean for your own journey.
Featuring the spiritual writings of Methodist women and hymns written by women of many Christian traditions, this devotional resource will open your life to deeper connection with God. These creative women invite you through prayer and song to consider what it would mean for God to fill your heart with love.
Each of the thirty readings includes a scriptural text, a prayer, and a hymn selection from The United Methodist Hymnal, covering a full spectrum of spiritual themes. Recommendations for the use of the book are also included, both for individuals and small groups.
Immerse yourself for a month in the wisdom of these women, open your heart to the indwelling of God’s grace and love, and see what the Spirit births in your lives.
Reviewers say:
Paul Chilcote has given us grace gifts in his book that connects the saints to our spiritual formation today. This book is a well that offers us living water through the prayers of early Methodist women. Drink deeply. Steve Harper, Northwind Theological Seminary
In this collection, Chilcote takes up John Wesley’s advice of praying the prayers of others and so deftly recasts the writing of Methodist women of previous generations in to rich and expressive prayer forms to assist this present generation in finding their own voices in prayer. Georgia, Hester Ann, Isabella, Mary, and others here invite you to deepen your own encounter with the triune God and the life of faith! Karen B Westerfield Tucker, Boston University
Fill my Heart with Love is available in Kindle, and paperback from your local bookstore, Eden, Amazon etc.
ISBN: 978-1666708141, 132pp, 2021, Cascade Books
Sheltering with the Psalms
30 Days of Prayer with Charles Wesley
In this thought-provoking devotional, Paul Chilcote invites readers to engage deeply the life-giving power of the living Word in the Book of Psalms, as arranged through the hymns of Charles Wesley.
The book is designed for individual or group use with engaging discussion questions. For those that are serious about cultivating holiness as a distinctive disposition of heart and life, the book will serve as a helpful guide for the journey.
Reviewers say:
Over the years I have hugely valued Paul’s writings. Here again, in an extremely timely way, he opens up prayerful space for the reader to be encountered with God. He does this in a way that is accessible, non-cliched and warm. This devotional use of the Psalms comes with my enthusiastic recommendation. Trevor Hudson, author of The Way of Transforming Discipleship and Divine Friendship
Paul Chilcote has woven together the threads of Scripture, tradition and current reality, offering us a tapestry for living well during challenging times. Given the world we find ourselves in, this book is one we will return to over and over. It is a means of grace to help us make it through the valleys dark as death. Steve Harper, author of Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition
Sheltering with the Psalms is available in Kindle, and paperback from your local bookstore, Eden, Amazon etc.
ISBN: 978-1955473019, 206pp, 2022, Aldersgate Publishing
About the AuthorPaul W. Chilcote is an award-winning author and retired United Methodist minister and theological educator. A frequent speaker and workshop leader in applied Wesleyan studies, particularly in the areas of spirituality, worship, discipleship, and evangelism, he is the author of nearly thirty books, almost all of which are available on Amazon.com.
He has been involved in theological education on three Continents, serving as a missionary, with his wife, Janet, in Kenya, at St. Paul’s United Theological College and as a founding faculty member of Africa University in Zimbabwe. He has taught as well at Asbury Theological Seminary, Ashland Theological Seminary, Duke Divinity School, and the Methodist Theological School in Ohio.
He has particular interest in Wesleyan theology and spirituality, Christian discipleship and renewal, and women’s studies. He is past President of The Charles Wesley Society and the Academy for Evangelism. He also enjoys a special relationship with Mt. Angel Abbey in Oregon as a Benedictine Oblate.
With his wife, Janet, he has five daughters (Sandy, Rebekah, Anna, Mary, and Ruth) and six grandchildren (Alyssa, Collin, Levi, Isabella, Oliver, and Theo). Representing various nationalities including El Salvador, Kenya, Korea, and the United States, his family represents four continents.
This website contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything after following a link, Amazon will make a small (tiny, miniscule, microscopic) donation to support the free resources on our sister site, The Reflectionary. No personal data is passed in either direction and the price you pay is the same.
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Lost at Home – an interview with Anne Jordan
Lost at Home
by Anne JordanF: Hi Anne, thanks for giving us your time. We’re here to talk about your book, but first, could you tell us a little about yourself?
A: I was born in Ripon North Yorkshire and moved to Leicester in 1978 after getting married. I have three grandchildren and two foster grandchildren. My pastimes include reading walking and castles!
I am a committed Christian and I attend Knighton free Church in Leicester.
I am now retired but I was a Skills for Life tutor, working mainly with adults with learning difficulties and or disabilities but also with people with literacy needs. I have also taught creative writing to adults recovering from mental health problems.
F: Thanks. It’s great to meet you. What was it that prompted you to write this book?
A: It was the television series A House through Time. In the series, David Olusoga tells the story of one house and the people who lived in it, from the time it was built until now.
I began to think what it would be like if someone who had lived in a house was to arrive in the same house but at a different time. Just supposing that was a child and it was now lost.
F: Sounds intriguing! What do you hope that people will get out of reading your book?
A: As this is a book for children I hope they will have an understanding of what it was like for a young child to be employed as a chimney sweep in Victorian times.
F: Yes, I see. If you could sum up the message of your book in one sentence, what would it be?
A: Escape from a Victorian Chimney Sweep Cellar!
F: Awesome!
And finally, if Hollywood were to come knocking on your door, which actors would you be hiring?A: I have a heart for adults and children with learning difficulties so I would choose actors from this group of people.
F: Brilliant. Thanks for sharing your book with us, Anne.
Book info
Available in paperback exclusively from Amazon
ISBN-13: 979-8403182317, 179pp, 2021, indie-published
Signed copies available from: Anne Jordan (pm me on facebook)
From the Blurb
Ten year old Patti is looking forward to a final Christmas in her beloved Victorian home before it is demolished. But in the middle of decorating the tree she jumps at a rush of sound coming from the chimney. A cloud of soot engulfs her. It’s not only soot landing on her grandma’s best parlour rug, it is something else which will make her heart race…
By the same author
I began writing ten years ago. I wrote short stories with characters with learning difficulties in them.
I then wrote a YA novel, ‘Behind the Sea’. The main character is a young man with a non specific learning disability.
My next published YA novel is ‘Snake Mouth’ and features a young girl with Tourette syndrome.
My latest book Lost at Home is a children’s fiction book. It is set in Victorian times when children were used as chimney sweeps.
Disclaimers
Some books are given to me as review copies. This website uses affiliate links. Anything you buy after following a link makes an extremely small donation to support the work of our sister site, The Reflectionary. No personal data is passed in either direction and the price you pay is the same.
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Beyond the Children’s Corner
Beyond the Children’s Corner
Creating a Culture of Welcome for All Agesby Margaret Pritchard Houston
If you have children in your church, used to have children in your church, want children in your church or are terrified of children in your church … you need this book.Brimming with helpful advice bred from years of experience and thoughtful practicality, this is not a one-size-fits-all solution for the ideal church – we know those don’t exist. Instead, this starts from where you are, acknowledges the frankly frustrating process of dealing with real people in real churches, and works with what you have (which is probably more than you think).
With plenty of real-life case studies to encourage us, it also has hilarious imaginary scenarios which make us laugh at the mistakes of others then wonder silently if perhaps we are doing some of those things ourselves. (I’m looking at you, St Swithun’s in-the-Swamp.)
It is solidly based on a Biblical approach to children as spiritual beings in their own right – not as empty vessels needing to be filled, nor as seedlings needing to be gown into ‘proper’ Christians, but fully believers alongside adults – just shorter. This takes seriously what we say at the baptism service: that we are children of the same heavenly Father.
There are practical steps, long term pathways and ‘quick wins’ to make every church a more welcoming place for children and their frazzled parents, but with care and consideration for those who may feel apprehensive at losing the church they know. I highly recommend this book.
You may also be interested in these:
- All Age Worship by Lucy Moore (the founder of Messy Church)
- Children’s Spirituality: What it is and Why it Matters by Rebecca Nye
- Preaching with All Ages by Ally Barrett – Read a review here
Available in Kindle, and paperback from your local bookstore, Eden, Amazon etc.
ISBN: 978-11781401644, 200pp, 2020, Church House Publishing
Amazon Reviews – all Five Stars
Margaret clearly has heaps of hands on experience to draw on as a children and youth advisor, but she grounds this in well reasoned theology and research as well. As a tool for clergy, children’s ministers, and frankly anyone who wants to help their church to grow younger, broader and more inclusively, this is excellent. It helps you frame questions for leadership groups, to reflect on what needs to change and in what order, how to bring the whole church community along the journey together, and to be intentional about developing ministry with younger folk rather than simply Doing Many Things. I would post a photo of the book, but I’ve already lent it to someone else – it’s that kind of book! – Nick M
If your church is serious about changing how they work with children and families, this is the book for you. Margaret Pritchard Houston explores the key principles that underlie children’s ministry and not only gives ideas for change but also looks at how those changes might be achieved in churches (turning the dream into reality.) The inclusion of lots of stories and examples make this a very readable book, with lots to think about! – Sarah D
From the Blurb
Beyond the Children’s Corner is a practical handbook to help churches become more welcoming to children and families in worship.
It encourages PCCs and ministry teams to reflect on the spiritual needs of children, the pastoral needs of families, and how to remove barriers and manage change effectively.
Based on multiple training sessions and extensive casework, informed by research by the Church of England’s Life Events team and the Methodist Church, it explores:
- The changing needs of modern families;
- What tells you it’s time for change;
- ‘Quick wins’ to make the worship space more welcoming and spiritually imaginative;
- Engaging children in spiritually nourishing worship;
- Children and contemplative worship – what to do about noise;
- Building and sustaining relationships with families and children.
Many books on All-Age Worship focus the service itself. Beyond the Children’s Corner explores how children and adults can be truly integrated as the church community, covering parents’ perspectives, the church building and the challenge of change as well as what happens in worship.
About The AuthorMargaret Pritchard Houston is Children’s Mission Enabler Adviser for the Diocese of St Albans and was previously Children and Families Worker in the Diocese of London. She lectures widely on the topic of this book and has extensive experience of training lay and ordained ministers.
Disclaimers
Some books are sent to me as review copies; nevertheless, all opinions are my own.
Some links are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy any product after following such link, Amazon will make a small donation to support this ministry. This does not affect the price you pay, and no data is passed in either direction.
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Fay Rowland - Author 