Last update 19th January, 2012

WORKSHOPS and HOLIDAYS

• Chris is leading another writing holiday at Lee Abbey, on the spectacular Exmoor coast of North Devon, September 10-14, 2012 (See holidays page). And all those who came to the Cotswolds this year all want to come to a venue we’ve booked near Bath in May next year, so that is full! If you want to come to one of Chris’ writing holidays this year therefore, don’t delay booking for Lee Abbey as places are, as ever, limited.Lee Abbey
• Writing from Life’ groups - have started up again for the spring term in mid-Surrey - see Workshops etc for more information and email Chris if interested. The Wednesday morning group full but we could squeeze one or two more into the Thursday evening group.
• Chris has a space in one of her two Write On groups for people with ongoing writing projects. To read more about it go to Workshops etc and email Chris if you are interested.
• Summer Writing Days will happen again at Chris’ mid-Surrey home in the summer holidays but aren’t yet arranged.
  Chris led two writing holidays in 2011: mid-May in the Cotswolds for writing friends of Chris and Judy was enjoyed by 12 people 17-21 May and St Rhadagunds at Ventnor on the Isle of Wight by eight of us in July . The weather was kind, the food good and the sea (mostly) blue as in the picture below. For more pics of both holidays see ‘Holidays’ page

CHRIS’ OWN WRITING - NEW BOOK!

My 19th book was published on 17th November! I love the cover and  SPCK will has made a really good job of the book, as ever. Did you know they’ve been publishing books since 1698? No, not mine, I’m not THAT old! But this is my 4th with them and I’ve been pleased with them all.

‘Is God for Real? Signposts and stories for people who wonder’
was ‘launched’ on Saturday 19 November, 19.30-21.30 at Bookham Baptist Church. A great evening with stories, live music, wine... Below is a picture of the launch, with Fran Pyatt telling her story.

Below is Chris with the Launch MC, Revd Steve Elmes.

I’ve put a ‘taster’ extract on the ‘Books’ page of this website

The book’s retail price is £9.99, the publisher SPCK and the ISBN 978 0 281 06205 8.

The back cover says:

Every so often, we glimpse something out of the ordinary – in the beauty of a summer dawn, the kindness of a stranger, the comfort of feeling held during a time of great personal difficulty. Could it be that we’re experiencing God? There are those who would say that we are.

And, yet, how can someone claim to know God? He might exist, but how can relationships work between human beings and a God they can’t hear, see or touch? Does he do what his book (the Bible) and his people (the Church) claim? Does his light really shine in the darkness to comfort and invigorate them, to change them for the better, and to help them care more deeply for those they know and those they don’t? In other words, is God for real?

To answer this question, Chris Leonard asked a wide variety of people to describe different aspects of their relationships with God. This warm book relates their stories vividly and includes wisdom from the Bible to help those seeking God – from all kinds of church backgrounds and none – to explore further what it is to have a real and meaningful relationship with him.

Chris’ previous book
was published by SPCK on 22nd October 2009. It uses reflections, true stories and prayers to explore the theme of ‘Holding on and Letting Go’. email Chris if you would like a copy, price £8.99, with free postage within the UK. On 4th February 2011 Mark Oakley wrote a good review of it in Church Times: ‘Biblical, poetic, humane: Leonard writes in the best tradition of pastoral theology, which makes it a prayerful read.’

Bible notes
 Chris has written some notes for BRF’s Day by Day with God which will be published for November 2012 and their theme is: ‘On the edge or in the middle?’ She has been commissioned to write another month’s worth on ‘Winds’ for CWR’s Inspiring Women Every Day.

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