Hi Inspy Romancers!
A huge thank you to Marion for allowing me to hijack her spot today and share with you all. For those who don’t know me, I’m Ashley Winter, a South African, church-planting wife and mom of four, living on the beautiful south coast of Wales, and I write Christian Fiction set in my home country, South Africa.
Now for those who have experienced the pull of this magnificent continent, you would perhaps understand my need for periodic escapes back to Africa, but with work and four children this has become increasingly difficult – enter the magical world of reading and writing fiction!
There is nothing as cost-effective and instant as travelling by book! All you need is a novel set in your desired destination and a good imagination and the world is your oyster.
My thirteen book series, Love in South Africa, is written fully immersed in the culture, complete with local geography, slang (I do include a glossary) and cuisine. However, to help foreign readers find their feet in this whole new world I’ve included international characters to ask the questions they themselves would be asking of the locals if they found themselves in that setting. I’ve also developed a Pinterest board for each book, so those unfamiliar with the country and cultures can take a look through the pins and see the places, items and food mentioned. You can even try your hand at a hearty South African recipe or two!
The series is set around a private game reserve on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg, where a main character of the first book, Rachel’s Blessing, is a gamer ranger and relative of the owner. After waiting many years to find love, he meets and falls in love with a British woman volunteering at the neighbouring orphanage, Rachel. Their subsequent wedding in the second book, brings Rachel’s English family to the reserve and sparks fly when Rachel’s older sister, Deborah finds herself caught between two equally attractive love options, one, the gentle doctor she’d always believed she’d marry, and the other, a far more unlikely choice – a tough Afrikaans rugby player, and the best man at the wedding.
And so the series is weaved story after story, with redemptive themes and happy endings throughout. Each book features a new main couple while continuing the story of the previous pair in the background.
Since my last blog post I have added another three books to the series which all take place before the first book, as far back as the 1970s. Writing these books was a wonderfully rich immersion back in time. They take readers into a whole different scene politically in South Africa. The first two Back-in-Time books are set in 1970s and 80s during the Apartheid years, while the third is set in 1994 – the year of the country’s first democratic election, and a very exciting time to be a South African.
So, if you’ve ever wanted to experience a taste of this majestic, yet conflicted country with its varied natural terrains, rugged savanna and diverse cultural mixing-pot, and you aren’t able to travel there, Love in South Africa may be just the thing to make you feel like you’ve not only been there, but that you have a few friends there too!
Have you ever been to Africa? Would you like to? I’d love to hear your comments! I’ll be giving away three copies of Book 1, Rachel’s Blessing, to three random commenters.
Until next time, happy reading!
Ashley
Find me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/loveinsouthafrica
Find me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/ashleyrwinter
Find me on Pinterest: www.pinterest.co.uk/ashleyrwinter/
Website: www.ashleyrwinter.com
Ashley Winter is a church planting wife and mom of four sons. As a South African living in Wales, UK, Ashley shares her love of Jesus and her home country, by writing Christian Fiction set in South Africa.
When she isn’t writing or caring for her family, Ashley runs a baby photography business, makes music, watches rugby, goes for long beach walks with friends and grows house plants.
USA Today bestselling author, MARION UECKERMANN’s passion for writing was sparked when she moved to Ireland with her family. Her love of travel has influenced her contemporary inspirational romances set in novel places. Marion and her husband again live in South Africa and are setting their sights on retirement when they can join their family in the beautiful Cape.
Hi Ashley, Have only ever visited South Africa in books or films but it seems an amazingly diverse continent. I was curious about the term church planting as it is new to me. Have you ever written that into a character profile for one of your books? Thanks
Hi Ashley, I learnt a few Afrikaans words thanks to cricket and a friend who lived in South Africa for about 18 months. We met due to a common issue in loving Cricket and like the South African Cricket team (My favourite cricketer played for South Africa). I will have to check out your books. Its great finding books set in other countries (I am an Aussie)
I haven’t been to Africa would love to see some cricket if I went and also see some of the sights and go to a Braai.
Hi Dianne, thank you for your comment! Yes, South Africa has 11 official languages! (Though English is still the main one), and an incredibly diverse landscape.
Church-planting is simply starting a church from scratch. I don’t have a church-planting couple in my series, but I do have a young pastor who takes over a small congregation. He also finds the woman he wants to marry soon after, and some of her emotions are explored in terms of what her new life would look like, and what would be expected of her as a pastor’s wife. I loved writing this book and could personally relate to many of her feelings.
Hey Jennie!
I love this post! We love cricket too! And now I have to know: who is your favourite cricketer? My husband got to go to one of the World Cup games last year in Cardiff and had a great time! He got called onto the field at halftime to represent SA in a fun mini tournament. It was so funny! :-)
Great, look forward to reading your books :)
I knew a lady years ago from South Africa though she was originally from Canada. I adored her accent. I was too shy to ask her questions about her heritage though. I don’t remember ever reading any books set there so they would be very educational for me.
Hi Ashley! This German American retiree who lives in the Mitten State has only traveled to South Africa as a couch potato through books and movies. As a retired German teacher, I am intrigued that South Africa has 11 languages, as well as culture, traditions, and cuisine. I thought Switzerland was unique with four. I have enjoyed learning about South Africa through my interaction with Marion Ueckermann. Looking forward to exploring South Africa through your unique perspective. Best wishes.
Hi Renate! Thanks for your comment! Even though German is not one of our official languages, there’s quite a large German community where I’m from in the north of the KwaZulu-Natal province. They have their own church and even a school (my sister actually went there). Every Easter our German friends would give us intricately painted eggs filled with tiny sweets, we loved them. Were you born in Germany, Renate?
Hi Sherri! Yes I imagine they’d be quite different to what you’re used to then, a real immersion into a different world! All the best!
Your stories sound lovely, and I am looking forward to reading them!
Sounds amazing. I would love to visit. Thank you for sharing.
Yes, Ashley. I was born in Berlin. My parents immigrated to America in 1955 when I was five. My great uncle Otto was our sponsor. He I migrated to America with his cousin in 1914.
It’s been wonderful having you again on Inspy Romance, Ashley. Thanks for blogging with us today and entertaining our readers with your world.
I have not been to South Africa. I did get to visit Burundi & Rwanda back in 1970 for a summer missions trip.
I’m glad your books are on Kindle Unlimited so I can try them out!
Hello! I’ve never been to Africa, though when I was in college I had a friend from the Ivory Coast! I know of missionaries to Uganda, the wife grew up in the church I’m a member of, and met her husband on the mission field. This sounds like a great series!
Your stories sound awesome I have never visited but would love to some day Thank you for the chance !
Hi Ashley,
I have never left North America, so I haven’t been to South Africa. Your stories sound very interesting and diverse since they are set in different eras in South Africa. I find it fascinating that you have added Pinterest to further expand on the South African themes of your stories.
I’ve never been to Africa nor have I read any book set there. I’ve read plenty set in various parts of England because I love Regency. Many of those are about the Ton in London & other cities such as that. I did read one book for an author that was set in New Zealand, it was so interesting to “travel” to a different country & learn about a culture so unlike my own :-) I had to look up some references to different places & speech because I didn’t know the meaning.
I think it’s great that you included a link to your Pinterest board to learn more about your characters, culture, speech and even recipes! I will definitely be perusing those!
Lastly, I have had no desire to go to Africa but I do so enjoy seeing pictures of wildlife and wild landscape. A pastor & his wife of a church we used to attend years ago would go to Kenya about every two years or so to minister to the various tribes there. They always brought back stories & souvenirs to show us. So, I lived vicariously through them :-) I wouldn’t mind reading a book set in Africa, I think it would be a wonderful armchair vacation!
I have never been to Africa. My sister did go to South Africa in a business trip years ago. I’m sure it would be an interesting place to visit.
Hi Ashley , your books sound like very good reads and I love the covers! I have never been to Africa, and I think it would really be awesome to go and visit somewhere in the Jungles of Africa. I would love to visit a wild animal park. Very nice to meet you, you are a new to me author. Have a Great weekend and stay safe.
That must’ve been quite an adjustment for your family… immigration is really hard, especially for the first generation immigrants. We moved to Wales from South Africa 11 years ago. I’m still trying to keep the African culture alive in my sons. :-)
Thank you so much, Paula! :-)
Our church has a sister church in Kenya. I was offered the opportunity to go on a mission trip, but do to financial and health concerns, I had to turn down the offer.
Hi Ashley, I’m from New Zealand but spent a month in Durban visiting my best friend who is South African. We visited Pietermaritzburg its a beautiful spot.
I am also married to a saffa from East London that I meet here in NZ and my in-laws live in the UK so seems we have a bit in common lol.
I do enjoy reading books set in Africa and haven’t read any of yours yet.
Never been to South Africa. It aounds like a interesting place though. Thank you for sharing!
Hi! Ashley. I read an excellent Christian Adventure/Romance 4 Bk fiction series called Treasures of the Heart by Catherine Palmer published around 2000. Each book took place in a different country, had different themes and fascinating occupations. One of the books was about a woman with a PhD who worked with elephants. I should read them again. They were wonderful. I’m betting your series is a similar delight of knowledge and fun. I will have to check them out.
We know a couple native from South Africa that run a dive shop in a Cayman Brac, another couple that has visited all but 2 countries in Africa (they totally love it and keeps returning), and another couple that has lived their entire married life in Kenya but are originally from elsewhere. From what we hear and have read, Africa sounds like a huge, diverse, and wonderfully wild land (outside the cities). People say it is a total delight to the senses.
Sadly, my travel there may remain vicariously and through books. The world is too huge to go everywhere – unfortunately. :D
Ashley, thank you so much for the chance to meet you! When I was in graduate school (oh, so many years ago) I met two sisters from SA who were both studying piano performance at the university’s music school. My only other connection has been through books and possibly film. It took me a while to realize that Dianne Wilson’s “The Cake List” was set in South Africa. It snuck right past me that East London was not eastern London. I finally caught on when the characters started talking about the prices of things in rands. The story was delightful. Best wishes for both your writing and your church planting. Thank you for your service for the Lord.
Hi Ashley I am a cricket tragic. although I can’t go to games much now due to migraine pain. But I use to go to the net practice the days before the test at Adelaide and right from the start liked RSA. I always like Jonty Rhodes but it was Neil McKenzie that was my all time favourite. I took a couple not the best photos and he signed them. I told him I would get a better one and he asked my name. He kept using my name when he saw me and he treated me like I mattered (Have heard he does this to all fans which makes him even more special)He remembered my name 7 years after the first time I saw him play.
Wow your husband was lucky.
It’s such a pleasure sharing with this lovely group!
Yes they are! Hope you enjoy them!
Thanks Trudy! Funnily enough, we have a friend from the Ivory Coast just down the road from us in Swansea!
Always a pleasure! Thank you for inviting me on, Marion! <3
It’s a pleasure Sarah! Thank you for taking the time to comment :-)
Hey Laura, thanks so much for your comment! Yes, I think Pinterest has the potential to be a valuable tool for international readers, I hope to utilise it even more in future. It was quite a challenge delving into South Africa’s conflicted past, but ultimately very rewarding. Hope you get a chance to read the series!
Hey Trixi,
Yes, I think it would be! Thanks so much for your comments, I hope you get a chance to enjoy the series and Pinterest boards!
Yes, absolutely. It’s the sort of place that gets under your skin and stays there. Hope you get a chance to visit someday!
Hi Alicia,
Thanks so much for your comments! There’s nothing like a night drive through the nature reserves of South Africa. I’ve only been on one once and we had a group of young lionesses running after our vehicle, it was amazing! The best time to go is during winter when the grass is short and you can spot the animals easier. I hope you get the chance one day!
Hi Denise! I love that fact that your church has a sister church in Kenya! I hope you get the chance to go someday…. thanks so much for your comments.
Hi Carolyn, yes we do have a bit in common! So, you’d married to a SAFFA, that must be interesting if you’re rugby fans??? :-)
Yes absolutely, hope you get a chance someday. Thanks for your comments, Megan!
Wow, I can’t believe the couple that has visited all but two African countries, wow! They’ve put me to shame! Thanks for taking the time to comment, Penelope… hope you get to visit vicariously again soon! :-)
Hi Lincoln,
Thanks so much for your comments! I haven’t read ‘The Cake List’ yet, but it looks like fun! We have so many places in SA named after places in the UK, I can see how easily one could get confused by the two East Londons haha! All the best, Lincoln!
I’ve never been but I’m ready to pack my bags 🤓
Haha luckily he has supported the All Blacks his whole life :).
I wish I’d been able to keep better track of my friend Hortense! My college days were way back before social media, it’s a tad difficult to track some down after so long, too!!
I really enjoyed reading about your books. Thanks for sharing and thanks to Marion to inviting you.
I loved my friend, Dianne’s book, The Cake List. Such a fun read!
My pleasure, Priscila. It’s been too long since I’ve had Ashley visit Inspy Romance so I decided it was time :)
Pack, Natalya :)
Haha! I love that! :-)
Wow! Seven years later! That is amazing :-) Jonty was one of my favourites while I was growing up, but Shaun Pollock was the ultimate for me haha!