Now, it’s time to announce the lucky winners. I said I was going to give away 10 copies of my first novel, Just Benny. Well, I’ve decided to increase it to 12 because I had such wonderful responses. I will only share first names here to protect your privacy, but you will all be hearing from me very soon when I send the download link for your free book.

Congratulations to Donna, Elianna, Suzanne, Teri, Elizabeth, Sue, Jacqueline, Anita, Vickie, Kathy, Rob, and Sarah Joy.

Don’t forget that if you aren’t a winner on this occasion, you still have the opportunity to download my novella

Only Ola

for free.

So which question should I answer first? I think it has to be Teri’s. She asked whether my husband ever plays tricks on me.

The short answer is yes – all the time. He loves holding things out to me, then removing them at the last minute so I end up waving my hand around in mid-air. The trouble is that he always gives himself away by laughing, so I can usually sense what he’s up to, and of course I laugh along with him.

There was one infamous occasion when we were at my grandmother’s house and she offered us cake. Jonathan went into the kitchen to cut it, and I asked him to only bring me a very small piece. I think the term I used was “A sliver”.

I heard him pottering around in the kitchen, then he returned to the lounge, handed me my plate, and sat back down. For once, he didn’t laugh, although he told me later that he and my grandmother just sat there grinning like a pair of cheshire cats as I investigated the “sliver’ of cake in the centre of my plate. It was practically paper thin! I don’t even know how he managed to cut it so small. And of course, as soon as I felt it, all three of us exploded with laughter. Apparently, the look of confusion on my face was priceless, as though I were saying, “Where’s the rest of it then?”

I’ll answer more questions in my next email, alongside telling you more about the Benny series by introducing you to some of its main characters.

Until then.

God bless you all.

It was the book I never intended to write, and the one I feared I’d never finish. When I started, I didn’t even like Benny’s anxious, ever-hovering helicopter mother, yet I felt compelled to tell her story. There had to be a reason for her constant state of fear. And as I wrote her back story, Janet Wellander really grew on me.

My book launch on 16 August 2025 was such a blessed day, filled with neighbours, friends, family, and lots of cake! You can’t have a proper book launch without cake.

So today is a double celebration. It’s Releasing Janet’s first book birthday, but my novel has also been shortlisted for a CRT award.

For those who don’t know - which included me until fairly recently , CRT stands for Christian Resources Together. These awards recognise Christian literature in the UK. And Releasing Janet has been shortlisted under the fiction category, alongside books by well-established authors Tessa Afshar, Julie Klassen, and Heather Kaufman.

I’m still trying to get over the shock! This is only my second novel, and some of these ladies have been writing for years.

I am both grateful and humble. And as for the results … Well, they are down to Jesus.

Thank you all for your continued friendship and support, whether you have been here for a while or you’re a new subscriber.

I will be back mid-week to announce the winners of my giveaway, and to answer some of your hilarious questions about blindness.

Until then.

god bless you all.

alexbanwellauthor.com

This will only be brief, as I’ve already cluttered your inboxes enough.

I just wanted to remind you of two things.

Firstly, it’s not too late to download your free copy of my novella

Only Ola

This little book serves as a great introduction to the Benny series, which I’ll talk about more in future newsletters.

Here is the blurb to whet your appetites.

Four years after fleeing Denmark as an angry eighteen-year-old, Ola Wellander has learned to accept the constant rain and casual prejudice of his adopted England. Working under a bullying manager who makes no secret of his hatred for foreigners, Ola keeps his head down and expects little from life.

But when he’s falsely accused of theft, Ola’s quiet existence is threatened. With his job and reputation on the line, it seems easier to disappear again – until a shy typist steps forward as an unexpected witness to the truth.

Can an unlikely friendship transform Ola’s lonely world?

A story of love, justice, and belonging in small-town England.

Secondly, you still have a week to enter my giveaway for ten electronic copies of my first full-length novel ‘Just Benny’. All you have to do is think of one question you’d love to ask a blind person. You can make it as funny or crazy as you like. As I said in my previous email, I’m not easily offended. I’ve already had some great suggestions, and I’ll be answering all of them in future newsletters, but there’s always room for more. You can either reply here, or email me directly at

alexbanwellauthor@gmail.com.

Until next time.

Take care and God bless.

Hello again from the beautifully sunny UK. We are having a glorious summer – the best I can remember for years. The humidity gets a little overwhelming, but I’m trying not to complain.

Some of you have been with me on this writing journey from the beginning, and I am incredibly grateful for your encouragement and friendship. However, we also have a few new subscribers, so let me take this opportunity to welcome you once again.

I would love to get to know you. So why not introduce yourself by dropping an email to

alexbanwellauthor@gmail.com

as I enjoy hearing from and praying for my readers.

Let’s Have Some Fun

The Bible says that a merry heart does good like a medicine (Proverbs 17:22.)

I don’t know about you, but I love a good laugh. There are so many things in this world that get on top of us and try to drag us down, but laughter is a brilliant form of stress relief. Many of my best laughs have come at my own expense because as someone who has been registered blind since birth, I am an expert at doing crazy things. Oh, and my husband says I tell the best blind jokes.

One time, I had cooked sausages, mashed potato, and baked beans for tea. For all of my non-UK subscribers, sausage, mash, and beans is a British staple – the kind of thing you cook when you can’t be bothered wasting time with deciding what else to have.

So Jonathan and I enjoyed our evening meal, and then it was time to tackle the washing up. I sacrificially offered to do this alone as my husband was tired, so I stacked the dirty crockery beside the sink and set to work.

Eventually, there was just one item left. It was cylindrical, so I presumed it was my potato peeler. I used an old-fashioned peeler in those days with a wooden, tube-shaped handle. I examined the peeler and was horrified to discover that the blade was missing. Again I plunged my hands into the soapy water. Surely the blade had to be in there somewhere. Where else could it be?

I searched and searched with no success. Then I decided to look at the peeler again, and I laughed out loud as I realised it wasn’t a peeler at all. It was the extra sausage I’d set aside to eat the following day. I had totally forgotten about it, So I’d washed a sausage!

That’s just one incident. I could share many more.

So now it’s your turn. I’m going to challenge you to come up with one question you’ve always wanted to ask a blind person. Go on! You can make it as funny or crazy as you like. And please don’t worry about offending me. I am not easily offended.

I will choose the ten funniest or most original questions and send the winners a link to download a free copy of my first full-length novel, Just Benny. So you have just over a week, as I will be choosing the winners on 18 August. Why this date, I hear you ask. Well, a girl might as well do something fun on the day she turns 46. I mean, it’ll save me asking Jonathan to help me count those extra grey hairs I can’t even see.

I look forward to reading your questions. I might even answer some of them in future newsletters.

Until then, take care and God bless you all.

It’s no secret that I suffer from self-doubt. I’m happy to admit it almost every time I’m asked to speak about my writing because it is a big spiky thorn in my side. Yet as time passes, I grow more convinced that I am exactly where Jesus wants me to be, doing exactly what he wants me to do.

A couple of things have happened this year to strengthen and solidify my calling, and I wanted to share them with you today. Please excuse the lack of photographic evidence, but there are times when taking pictures just isn’t possible or appropriate.

Firstly, I had the huge privilege of speaking to a group of ladies at our local women’s prison in February. Thanks to the generosity of readers like you who believe in my ministry, I was able to donate 100 books to be given out at the discretion of the chaplaincy team.

Honestly, it was one of the best days of my life. The ladies had the chance to ask me questions, and one in particular totally blew me away. “If God said you could have your sight, but you wouldn’t be able to write more books, what would you choose?” I didn’t even have to think about my answer, and they seemed to understand when I told them I’d choose writing every time.

Our hour together ended with an impromptu book signing. They were so warm and friendly, and they didn’t care about my wonky signature or the fact that I couldn’t include a personal dedication. My heart behind doing this was to make these ladies feel seen, known, and loved, but I can honestly say I received that blessing back from them double-fold.

The second thing I’d like to share happened just a few weeks ago. I saw an article in the local paper about a reading shelter being set up in the town of Coleford during the month of July, and I felt that familiar stirring in my heart, telling me God wanted me to get involved. So I wrote an email, and a short time later, my husband and I were dropping off books at Coleford Town Hall.

Then the unexpected happened. I was scrolling Facebook when I came across

this article

and practically fell off my seat.

I wasn’t expecting any of this, but once again, their blessing to me far outweighed the one I gave them.

This is how Jesus works, and it is how he has been confirming my calling.

I am working on a new novel, and all I can tell you so far is that it focuses on a whole new set of characters. Don’t panic, all you Benny fans. I will be getting back to the Wellanders. This is just where I feel led to fix my focus for now, and if you liked the Benny books, I am confident you’ll enjoy this too when it’s finally ready for public consumption.

So please keep praying for me as I battle self-doubt and move forward in my ministry, and please let me know how I can pray for you. We are all in this together, even though we face different challenges as God calls us to different tasks. It is a blessing to be able to support one another in prayer and friendship.

Until next time.

God bless you all.

I can almost hear your collective groan as you read the title and subject of this newsletter. I can imagine you glaring at your screens and saying, “Doesn’t she realise it’s summer (Or rather, it’s supposed to be)! We know she’s crazy, but why is she thinking about Christmas?” Well, I can assure you there’s a good reason, and once I’ve told you, I promise to keep quiet about Christmas services, festive lights, and all things jingly, sparkly, and snowy until at least November. After that, you can look out! Lol!

What is this Christmas in July thing anyway?

For the past three years, a collection of authors have collaborated to create this amazing giveaway, and it seems to be getting bigger every time. This year, there are over 70 books up for grabs, including my Releasing Janet.

It’s simple to enter. All you have to do is click the link below, fill out the form, and you’ll be in with a chance to win.

Click here to enter the amazing Christmas in July 2026 giveaway

There will be daily prizes, plus a grand prize at the end, giving you over 30 chances to receive something new to add to your book shelves. However, when you sign up, you will be agreeing for your email address to be added to each author’s mailing list, meaning you will receive more newsletters like mine. If this feels off putting, always remember that each mailing list comes with an unsubscribe option. We all know what it feels like to be bombarded by too many emails.

Some Personal Housekeeping

The Christmas in July giveaway was my final push into migrating my mailing list over here onto SubStack, my former platform wouldn’t have been able to cope with the new subscribers who will be added as a result of the competition. However, I want to reiterate that your personal details are still not being shared. As ever, they can only be seen by me. You do have the added option of accessing my updates through the SubStack app, but you will also continue to receive them by email in the usual way.

Every blessing to you all, and good luck to anyone who enters the giveaway.

Alex.

Hello everyone. I know it’s been a while. I realise this is my first newsletter of 2026, and I apologise for my long absence. My only excuse is that 2025 was a busy year - with the re-release of Just Benny followed only six months later by Releasing Janet. I needed a break, and I thought perhaps you might all need one too.

However, here I am again during the second quarter of 2026, grateful for what has been and looking forward to what lies ahead.

The first thing I need to flag is that you may have noticed this email is coming from a different source. Since I started my newsletter, it has been a niggling cause of frustration that I was unable to upload it independently. My husband Jonathan kindly learned to use Mailer lite, and although I wrote the content, the task of uploading and adding all the pretty bits was left to him. He would have gladly carried on, but I have been praying for a more workable solution, and I believe I have found it in Substack. I want to assure you that your email addresses are still totally secure, despite the change of platform. I checked before adding anyone to my subscriber list. However, as ever, if you wish to unsubscribe, I will totally understand and there will be no hard feelings.

The only small issue with this change is that it is no longer possible for you to reply to my emails by simply using the reply button. At least, I don’t think it is. I’m still learning, so maybe in time this will be an option. Until then, I am still hoping to hear back from as many of you as possible. So if you’d like to drop me a line, please email

alexbanwellauthor@gmail.com

I will be sending out a proper newsletter at the end of the month. For now, I just wanted to drop briefly into your inboxes to ensure everything was working correctly, and to inform you of the changes I have made.

God bless you all, and thanks for your patience.

My Website

It looks as though I have finally found an accessible platform for my newsletters, so there will be actual content coming soon. For now. I’m just testing, so please ignore.

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