The Stack

                                                            Picture Credit - author's own

This month, I must start by saying how much I enjoyed the British Christian Writer’s Conference at the marvellous Ridley Hall in Cambridge. I thank Ruth Leigh, Andrew Chamberlain and all those who spoke or assisted. I returned home with a shot of hope in one arm and encouragement in the other.  Writing can be a solitary task, so it was great to be in the company of like-minded folk. One key feature was the bookstall. A chance for authors to promote their work and for delegates to browse and buy. Of course, we all have our preferred genres but there was something there for most tastes.

Recently I got back in touch with a former colleague and friend I hadn’t spoken to these past few years. I felt inspired to message him when I noticed he has recently published his first novel*. Neither of us knew the other was interested in writing. His book falls under the fantasy genre and, frankly, that’s not my thing. However, within twenty-four hours, his book was winging its way to me and I’m chuffed to bits to own it. I’m meeting him soon for a long overdue catch-up and I shall return with it signed by the author. Given the size of my TBR pile, I’m not sure when I'll read it, but I’m delighted to possess it. I didn’t buy it because it was my thing; I bought it because I know the writer. Who knows though? Perhaps I'm missing out on something. 

Coming home from the conference, I thought about all the books I’ve bought over the past few years from writers associated with ACW. I put them all together and took the picture attached here. They've made my life richer and I've read books outside my preferred genres. Looking at the stack, I realise part of my motivation for buying them was the personal connection. Through ACW I feel connected to the authors, even though I haven’t met many of them in person.

The Bible is full of books written in varying styles. An unlikely anthology, you might say. Some parts I have read many times, others… not so much! The Bible can’t rest on my bookshelf as a possession simply because I know the author. Are there chunks of the Bible that remain in your TBR pile? Do you sidestep the bits that aren’t in your favourite style? I do, and I know that should change. Have you got any tips for the bits you struggle with?

In case you can’t see the books too well in the picture, they are by (from bottom to top) … Val Penny, Annie Try, Adrian Plass, Lindsay Rumbold, Ruth Leigh, Deborah Jenkins, John Hearson, Paul Trembling, Brendan Conboy, Andy Roland, ACW anthology, Wendy H. Jones, Andrew Chamberlain, Caris Grimes, Richard Frost and Liz Carter. Second from the top is a very slim book that you can’t really see by Sheila Jacobs (a guide to editing) and on top of the pile is my Kindle, which contains a few more. They are all fantastic. Why not look for them and add some value to your life?

Finally, what other books by ACW writers would you recommend I add to the stack? 

*The Hiber Nation, Book One, Sleep - by Benjamin Thomas Allen