An Aussie Girl in the USA -- with Author Spotlight and ACFW conference update
Settle back and enjoy the following ACFW Conference update, as well as a glimpse into the way a girl from Aussie sees the US. Take it away, Jessica!
Thank you, Donna. So glad to be here with you today.
Writers have wonderful imaginations, so follow along for a peek into mine...
Snakes on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Being looked at like I’m an alien at Starbucks when I confess that I don’t drink tea or coffee. Trying not to die every time I cross the road. Getting used to American money. Getting used to American food portion sizes. Many Americans I met actually talk very softly. Experiencing the crazy domestic air travel that is the US. Being called ma’am frequently. Tipping. Signing for credit card purchases.
These are a few of the things I experienced on my recent trip to the USA. I went to attend the American Christian Fiction Writer’s (ACFW) Conference in St. Louis. I also took a mini road trip in Colorado with my friend Katy Lee, stayed with other lovely friends in Denver and stayed with my writing mentor, Candace Calvert (we finally got to meet in person) in Sacramento, with day trips to San Francisco and Lake Tahoe.
ACFW Conference:
When you live on the other side of the world, getting the chance to fly overseas and learn from the best in the business, is rare. I took my chance and had the most amazing time. I learned from amazing authors way ahead of me in the business, but willing to share their time. I pitched to two agents and the experience was really positive. I made amazing new friends and met online friends in person for the first time and I met two of my most favourite authors. I confess, I did fan girl a little! It was such a blessed time.
Colorado: Breckenridge and Rocky Mountain National Park.
It’s not a mountain anymore unless you need an oxygen cannister with you. That’s my new thoughts having seen the Rocky Mountains and driven around Colorado. I’ve never been that high elevation wise before and it was experience. I was scared a bit, but I coped so much better than I thought I would. I think I left my heart in Breckenridge. It was stunning. A tourist town yes, but it still a small town feel to it.
Rocky Mountain National Park was beyond stunning. The mountains, the elk, the lakes—jaw dropping. Being above the tree line was a heady experience for me, but it hasn’t stopped me from wanting to go back.
California: Sacramento
My California leg of the trip was exciting as well, but a little slower, which I needed. San Francisco was busy, busy, busy. Seeing Alcatraz so close to land, but surrounded by rough currents and sharks was stark. It was a reminder of the legends that have arisen from that place. Fisherman’s Wharf—clam chowder on every corner, crab or oyster on offer, street food, street performers (and yes, some holding snakes), the smells of hot dogs in the air, the noise of people, the traffic, the fog on the bay.
I came home, happy to be back, but missing my friends. It has filled me with a longing to go again. One day, with God’s timing, I’ll be back. 😊
About Jessica:
Born three months too early, her parents were told she wouldn’t survive, but Jessica has always been on the go, proving every day by simply living that God is a God of miracles. But growing up in a small town in northern New South Wales taught her to appreciate the slower pace of life.
Moving to Newcastle to attend university, Jessica studied high school English and history. As life would have it, God intervened and used her teaching degree to share the Gospel with high school kids. Marriage and children brought a new focus to her life, and provided the opportunity to run a blog for three years with her sister.
Jessica started penning really bad Anne of Green Gables fan fiction as a kid, has a lifelong love of the Sweet Valley High books, and after she stopped blogging, knew it was time to focus on her love of writing. When her eldest turned four, she finally sat down to write the love stories that have been roaming around her head for as long as she could remember.
Connect with her online: https://jessicawakefieldauthor.com/
MY BOOKS
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HISTORICAL
Written in Love series: What happens when a romance writer and a book publisher come together? Love!
Cactus Lil and the City Slicker (Book 1)
A rough-and-tumble cowgirl, “Cactus” Lil Duncan longs for true love, but is afraid to let down her prickly exterior when a city slicker from New York City, with less-than-honorable intentions, tries to win her trust and her hand.
Written in Love (Book 2): Cactus Lil's Big City Debut
Lily and Peter Golding arrive triumphantly in the Big City. But when they learn of Uncle Phillip’s mysterious disappearance, Peter and Lily are pulled into the dark underside of the Big City, then thrust onto the front pages of the newspapers as ‘persons of interest’ in the investigation.
Can they survive the onslaught of attention on themselves, their marriage, and the seedy side of the publishing industry? Can they survive? Period? Or can they discover who is behind this nefarious act, save Uncle Phillip--and themselves?
CONTEMPORARY
IF YOU LIKE MYSTERIES, YOU'LL LOVE THE “BY THE NUMBER OMNIBUS COLLECTIONS”. THREE COMPLETE CARLY TURNQUIST NOVELS IN EACH VOLUME, FOUR VOLUMES IN TOTAL. AVAILABLE HERE
Hearts of the Pony Express series: Follow these brave men and women along the Pony Express Trail as they look for a new future and find much more, thanks to God.
Hollenberg Hearts (Book 1)
A mail order bride. A crippled stationmaster. No way out for either of them—except with each other. Can they surrender their hearts and find true love?
Hollow Hearts (Book 2)
Can a widow and a loner discover a new beginning in the midst of tragedy, or are they bound to remain alone forever?
Hearts of Julesburg (Book 3)
Adventure and freedom—can a pair of Pony Express riders find their way from danger to daring?
Hearts of Midway (Book 4)
Missing horses. A missing Pony Express rider. A sheriff's daughter with a nose for mystery and a penchant for wearing trousers. And a Pony Express rider with a secret. Releases: August 31, 2024. Available for preorder now.
Counting the Days A 31-day devotional for accountants, bookkeepers, and financial folk
Mail-Order Romance series: marriage sight unseen, hoping love comes later. Will these men and women find what they’re looking for?
New Hope Train (Book 1)
John Stewart needs a wife. Mary Johannson needs a home. On her way west, Mary falls in love with another. Now both must choose between commitment and true love.
The Road to Freedom (Book 2)
The Recipe Box Series follows generations of women from the birthing of the United States through to contemporary times. A recipe box is handed down, and our heroines find the answer they need inside this box.
Recipe for Disaster (Book 1)
A spinster, a man looking for family – Can God somehow turn this for good for all?
Cooking Up Trouble (Book 2)
An unsuitable match to satisfy a debt. Can Holly find another solution? An unsuitable calling--a man in the kitchen. Practically unheard of. Can Adam find the strength to step into his purpose in life? Or will Holly and Adam both resist God and make their own way?
A Fresh Start for Elizabeth (Book 3)
Elizabeth Maddock, widow and chef, answers an ad and finds herself in Boulder, Colorado, passing her infant son off as her brother.
Evan Hamden, childless widower, searches for a cure for TB. While drawn to Miss Maddock, he resists falling in love, But when his patients start dying, he doesn’t know who to trust. Certainly not this invisible God Miss Maddock relies on
.
Can Evan and Elizabeth discover whether his treatment plan is faulty, or is somebody behind the deaths? Can they trust each other—and God—to reveal the truth? Releases May 28, 2024 -- available for preorder now.
Healing the Wounded Heart series: Follow these brave women as they venture into fields of medicine early in
our country’s history.
Testing Tessa (Book 1)
Can Tessa find a way to heal a wounded heart through loving the father’s son?
Justice for Julia (Book 2)
Should love come before or after marriage? Julia escapes unfounded medical malpractice claims. Josiah hides in a small town in Iowa with his daughter. But will they be willing to settle for a loveless marriage? Can they fool the residents with their subterfuge? Or will their pasts catch up with them?
Prairie Roses Collection: Adventure and romance in a covered wagon setting.
Kate (Book 7 in Prairie Roses Collection 2020)
A prostitute’s daughter, an outlaw’s brother, and a stagecoach robbery—can anything good come out of Deadwood?
Calli (Book 13 in Prairie Roses Collection 2022)
Can God use an orphaned baby to draw an independent woman and a twice-burned man into a family? Or will they all end up alone?
Tina (Book 29 in Prairie Roses Collection 2023)
An orphan left with the responsibility of raising her younger siblings falls for a mining engineer with adventure on his mind. Another steps in with an untenable solution. Is making a bad choice better than making no choice at all? And can God really turn even the worst situation to good for His glory?

The Switchboard Sisterhood series: Brave women travel to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1925 to look for love in a town where men outnumber women 10 to 1. But will they find more than they bargained for?
Juliette (Book 7)
Morgana (Book 13)
A shattered heart, an unplanned pregnancy, a ruined reputation. Can God—and love—repair what was so deceitfully stolen?
Christmas Under Main Street series: Will these entrepreneurial women in Pueblo, Colorado,
overcome the obstacles the men of the town
have thrown at them?
Time Will Tell (Book 2)
Can God reach through the hurts and betrayals of the past to create a new future in time for Christmas?
The Suffrage Spinsters: Tired of being ignored and treated as inferior members of society, the brave women of the mid-1800’s decided to do something about it. They banded together to initiate what is now known as the Suffrage movement – the decades-long fight for women to achieve the right to vote. The stories in this fictional romance series feature strong heroines of this era who were unwilling to give up their collective voice in order to discover true love.
Rollie's Riddle (Book 10)
A senate contender, a suffragette, and stolen money—which is more important?
Theresa's Talent (Book 25) Releases September 2024 -- Preorder!
Faith, freedom, fear – can Theresa and Toby embrace the first two and release themselves of the third?
The Reclusive Man/Hers to Redeem series: every man has a secret. And when a woman has a good reason, she won’t let go until she knows what it is.
Dianna’s Dilemma (Book 18)
In 1881, a female journalist travels to La Junta, Colorado, for one story, but finds another even more intriguing. Will she break her promise and reveal a man in hiding—or will she stay true to her word—and her heart?
David's Difficulty (Book 19 Hers to Redeem)
A secret fear, a secret dream -- can God bring them together?
Thanksgiving Books & Blessings: Gather around the family table with us as we share our blessings and enjoy a little romance along the way.
A Pink Lady Thanksgiving (Book 3 in Series 3, 2020)
A new home, a new name, and a new baby—who is trying to take all three from her? Kate McBride settles into life in Oregon City, Oregon in November 1879, while furthering her dream to solve mysteries. Her first case: find a missing woman. But when somebody seems intent on stopping her, she and Tom must join forces to reveal who is trying to stop them.
Claire (Book 22 of the Rescue Me Mail Order Brides Series)
A young woman running from the mob, a Pinkerton agent running from his heart—can God slow them down enough to spot the gift He’s provided?
Kaihtlyn's Choice (Book 19 of the Courting Chaos series)
A widow heads west to meet her wandering husband in Nugget, Colorado. On her arrival, she learns he died. But he left a gold mine and a will. With a stipulation: She must marry within 30 days. To one of three men he pre-selected before he died. But which man will win her heart? The tinker, the tailor, or the candlestick maker?
Oregon Trail Mysteries: Traveling west in the 1800s wasn’t easy, and neither was settling in Oregon City, Oregon. Join Tom and Kate as they explore the country and solve mysteries.
Kate (Oregon Trail Mysteries Book 1)
A prostitute’s daughter, an outlaw’s brother, and a stagecoach robbery—can anything good come out of Deadwood?
A Pink Lady Thanksgiving (Book 2)
A new home, a new name, and a new baby—who is trying to take all three from her?
Kingston Marchmont flees Australia in search of a new life—and a new opportunity to prove he isn’t the man wrongfully convicted and transported.
Kinsella Jackson struggles to raise her four children following her husband’s mysterious death. Did he jump? Was he pushed? Or was it an accident?
Standalone Books
Christmas Past, Christmas Present
A widower and his two daughters; a boy lost in the woods -- all in desperate need of a Christmas miracle.
Misunderstandings, accidents, and outright attacks plague a wagon train heading to California. Can love overcome and create a real family?
Also available in AudioBook format: https://booksinmotion.com/book-author/donna-schlachter/
The Mystery of Christmas Inn, Colorado
Can Matthew find a reason to go on living, and can Edith find someone who wants her for herself, before their Christmas Inn refuge is closed and they are forced to continue their search elsewhere, alone?
An unredeemable woman; a boy-child who simply wants to be loved; and a man-child seeking
answers to his past.
Short Stories, Devotionals,
and More!
Transformation: a 366-day walk through
the Bible in a year
Second Chances and Second Cups
A collection of short stories certain to warm your heart as you read about second chances from a God of second...and third...and fourth chances.
Broken Dreams, Mended Heart: 21 days to the spiritual healing you've always wanted
Broken Dreams, Mended Marriage: 21 days to the marriage you've always wanted
Broken Dreams, Mended Family: 21 days to the family you've always wanted
I Do -- Again: a 30-day devotional for couples in their second or subsequent marriage
Books on Writing
A compilation of essays and articles on many aspects of writing that will prove helpful and encouraging to writers of all levels.
A brand new go-to resource for fiction and non-fiction writers at any stage of your writing career. Helpful articles and essays on ideas, planning, writing, structure, the writing life, encouragement, and a subplot mini-conference.
books by other authors
Kelsey the Christmas Tree, by Gary Vargo, is a sweet story of believing in yourself when it seems impossible.
Full color, great for reading aloud or with.
Bella and The Friendship Sled, by Gary Vargo, is a richly illustrated story that transcends Christmas and time. Sure to be a family favorite.
Jezebelle by HG Ferguson: a gothic horror set in the back country of Alabama, where the line between legend and fact is dulled, and where monsters still live. (warning: R rating for graphic violence and thematic elements. Think Frank Peretti)
By the Numbers series: Join Carly Turnquist in 2002 as she pokes her nose into one mystery after another. Watch as a nudist colony threatens to take over her hometown, then join her as she and hubby Mike travel the country, stopping by Bear Cove, Maine, often enough to still be called residents.
No Accounting For Murder (Book 1)
Most people think accountants are boring. Carly Turnquist is about to prove them wrong. Join Carly, a forensic accountant, as she gets involved with a mystery business that threatens her quiet East Coast town, embezzled money, a missing mayor, and several attempts on her life. Will she live long enough to reveal who the killer is?
There Was a Crooked Man (Book 2)
Carly Turnquist, forensic accountant, is joining husband Mike on a working vacation--working for him, vacation for her--at a dude ranch in New Mexico. First she learns of missing stock and unpaid invoices, then veiled threats and a dead foreman threaten to ruin her trip.
Can Carly figure out who wants to put this family-owned ranch out of business, or will she die trying?
Unbalanced (Book 3)
Carly Turnquist, forensic accountant, is at home in Bear Cove, Maine, happily planning her son's wedding, when she sees a bank robbery. The only problem is that nobody else sees the robbery, and when she tries to investigate, her credibility is called into question. Add into the mix her husband's long-lost brother who disappears, leaving his son behind.
Five and Twenty Blackbirds (Book 4)
Join Carly Turnquist as she accompanies husband Mike to his twenty-fifth college reunion in Arizona. However, a sleepy little town is about to wake up to its first murder in over a hundred years, and Carly's nose for a mystery is on high alert.
Broke, Busted, and Disgusted (Book 5)
Back in Bear Cove, Carly's best friend is being courted by a smarmy stranger, and Mike's latest client is unhappy with him. When the client turns up dead and Mike is nowhere to be found, the police suspect him, and the video and paperwork they have that shows someone matching Mike's description maxed out their credit cards and cleaned out their bank accounts is compelling. But Carly knows her husband couldn't kill anybody. Could he?
Hidden Assets (Book 6)
Carly Turnquist, forensic accountant, responds to a call from her friend, Anne, who is in the middle of a nasty divorce, and travels to Wyoming to help find assets Anne thinks her husband has stolen. But the mystery begins before Carly even arrives when she sees a man thrown off a train. Except there’s no body. Husband Mike uncovers an illegal scam in a computer program he has been asked to upgrade, and then Anne is arrested for her ex’s murder. Can Carly figure out what’s going on, and why a strange couple is digging in Anne’s basement? Or will she disappear along with the artwork, coins, and money?
Petty Cash (Book 7)
Can Carly enjoy a peaceful vacation on Cape Cod, or will a local ghostly legend and a murder keep her too busy to notice what else is going on around her?
A Deadly Dissolution (Book 8)
Carly loses more than daylight when the total lunar eclipse and crime come to town. Can she figure out what’s going on before the suspects escape?
Silent Partner (Book 9)
Carly and Mike take the vacation of a lifetime--an Alaskan cruise. Unfortunately, Carly can't turn off her nose for trouble. Or mystery. Pretty soon she's embroiled with a series of allegations, innuendoes, overheard conversations, and even a shoving match. And before she knows it--a body. Can Carly figure out who the killer is before she ends up floating on an iceberg--or worse?
In the Money
(Book 10)
A million-dollar jackpot, a missing neighbor who won the money, a mysterious investment advice friend, and a cyber-security expert blended together with a dollop of insurance fraud and a smidgeon of gossip—can Carly get to the bottom of it all without ending up sunk in the harbor?
Missing Deposits (Book 11)
Carly looks forward to a vacation when Mike is hired to assist a rancher family in western Colorado catalogue their various mineral rights following the discovery of a large copper field on their property. However, Carly soon learns that the real wealth—and the real danger—aren’t below ground. Someone is out to keep a secret bigger and more profitable than copper. And they’re willing to kill for it.
Risk Management (Book 12)
When Carly is confronted with three terrible monsters, will she survive all three – or will this be her end?
Carly can’t ignore a good mystery. But when her investigations come close to home, she must decide whether to step back or continue, because now her family—and her own life—are at stake. Will she continue? Or will she retire gracefully? Perhaps she can do both.
Mysterious Ink Mystery Bookstore series: Join Margie Hanson, Carly Turnquist’s now-adult granddaughter, as she inherits a mystery bookstore in Edgewater, Colorado. This light-hearted cozy mystery with a dose of romance series is sure to delight you as Margie finds herself in the midst of missing books, murder, hidden secrets, and clandestine affairs. She undoubtedly inherited her grandmother’s sleuthing gene.
The Game is Afoot
(Book 1)
When Great-Aunt Roselda calls, everybody comes running. But by the time Carly Turnquist, forensic accountant, and her now adult granddaughter Margie Hanson arrive, Roselda is dead. Follow Carly on her absolutely final case as she mentors Margie into the finer art of solving a murder.
Little Grey Cells
(Book 2)
During renovations to her inherited house, Margie Hanson, library science graduate, discovers a suitcase with several items, including a wedding album, a baby's bonnet, and a rare manuscript. Who hid them there? And why? And where did two people and a newborn disappear to?
Heavier Than Broken Hearts (Book 3)
Dead men are heavier than broken hearts—at least according to Philip Marlowe, the legendary detective. Margie Hanson discovers a copy of “The Big Sleep” in a box lot of books at an estate sale, and she snags it to sell in her bookstore, along with a spice rack and spices for her kitchen. At home, she discovers neither is what she first thought. Can she solve these two mysteries before somebody succeeds in snuffing her permanently?
Nothing is Easy (Book 4)
Margie hosts a Christmas mystery month, featuring four different mystery books for the month. When a series of murders mimics the plot in the books, and she is the prime suspect, she soon learns that nothing is easy.
Christmas Ridge Romance series: a small town in the Colorado mountains. A community center that is the heart and soul of the town. Can the entire town’s Christmas wish list come true?
A Mommy by Christmas (Book 2)
Standalone Books
Always a Wedding Planner Romance Collection
Business partners Felicity Anderson, the cake baker; Kiki Bell, the seamstress; Cassie Blackthorn, the coordinator; and Chef Saffron Delarosa are best of friends in a town that is a romantic wedding destination for many couples—who work together at Weddings by Design to make every bride’s special day perfect. Could each falling into their own romance be the key to working out their differences and learning to trust each other—and God—with their futures?
A Mistletoe Mystery (Merry Little
Mysteries Anthology)
Christmas trees, cattle—and mayhem. Can Holly & Ivy Christmas figure out who is behind this nefarious deed?
Christmas Past, Christmas Present
A widower and his two daughters; a boy lost in the woods -- all in desperate need of a Christmas miracle.
Can Grace and Luke solve the clues in her grandmother’s scavenger hunt and uncover the truth about their real feelings, or will the tension and their differences in goals and faith drive them apart?
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