Carolyn Astfalk's Blog, page 31

Christmas Reading Recommendations

I enjoy reading Christmas books from the beginning of Advent straight through to the end of the Christmas season – long after most people have dragged their needle-dropping trees to the curb.

These are recommendations from the Christmas-themed novels I’ve read since my #5Faves: Christmas Romance Novellas (and More) post two years ago.

[image error]

Christmas Reading Recommendations:To be read in the glow of the Christmas tree.Tweet This

Ordinary Snowflakes by Jennifer Rodewald

Ordinary Snowflakes will remind you to look for the extraordinary in the ordinary. Kale’s self-discovery, aided by Joe’s gentle, faithful support and encouragement, is balm for every self-doubting mom’s soul.

Kale is a well-developed, sympathetic character with which most off us ordinary folks, who have made ordinary mistakes, can identify. Smart and self-deprecating, getting inside her head as she realizes God’s extraordinary love for her is the perfect preparation for welcoming the Christ child as He arrives in ordinary, humble fashion.

The only thing that pulled me out of this well-crafted book was the heroine’s name. I thought of the leafy greens in my fridge ever time I read it. Every time. That said, I highly recommend this Christmas novella.

‘Tis the Season by Olivia Folmar Ard

Olivia Folmar Ard is building a reputation for relevant, contemporary women’s fiction with soul. ‘Tis the Season, short enough and, on the surface, light enough for a Christmas read, is a character-driven story. It is THE story most of us need to read at the holidays. It’s a reminder to be more transparent and less concerned with appearance, more merciful and less retaliatory, and more generous than envious.

At one time or another, we all think we’ve got the market cornered on suffering and deprivation – maybe now more than ever thanks to social media. ‘Tis the Season is your antidote – or maybe you’re prophylactic – meant to be read before you head over the river and through the woods to a houseful of passive-aggressive or narcissistic family members. (Fill in your own family dysfunction.)

However or whenever it’s read, it’ll leave you with a spirit of generosity, perfect for strengthening strained relationships and receiving the joy of the season into your heart.

The Strangers at the Manger by Lisa M. Hendey

The Strangers at the Manger is the perfect Christmas story for young readers. (My daughter started reading The Chime Travelers series in second grade, I think, and still enjoys the books.) The series is basically a Catholic Magic Treehouse. And that’s not to say it’s a rip-off – it’s well written and enjoyable using an established, successful format.

The book will help keep children’s attention focused on the Christmas story rather than all the modern-day trappings that go along with it. If they, and their parents, take away its simple message, it will be well-worth reading: “Strangers are simply new friends, just waiting to be loved.”

Christmas Captive by Liz Johnson

Fast-paced and not too heavy despite the ongoing mortal peril the main characters are embroiled in. Amy and Jordan are well-developed, likable characters. (Hard not to like a Navy SEAL who’s principled, skilled, respectful and good-looking to boot.) The obstacles to their getting together seemed a little superficial to me at first, but once the characters’ backstories were revealed, their objections made more sense.

The Christmas setting is incidental to the storyline, so I didn’t get that “Christmas feel” from the book. It was, however, well-written and entertaining, start to finish.

The Christmas Basket by Debbie Macomber

The ridiculous grudges held by two snooty busybodies drive The Christmas Basket. If you can suspend disbelief enough to buy the caricatures, there’s some comedic relief in their ridiculous one-upmanship.

Again, if you can buy that a simple misunderstanding drove 10 years of heartache and hatred, then you’ll find a sweet reunion of the children of said busybodies.

All in all, light, frothy, and fun. So long as you’re not looking for something deep and meaningful, you’ll find something you like in The Christmas Basket.

Although the narrator had a bit of a bored, snobby affectation, overall I though the audiobook was very well done with good voice differentiation.

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci

My enjoyment of this book was due in no small part to the narration by actor Tim Matheson. Well done!

A light and entertaining Christmas read with a few twists and surprises. The characters may have been a bit cliché, but it didn’t diminish my enjoyment one bit.

The ragtag bunch of train passengers weren’t all moral paradigms, but they were delightfully likable in all of their foibles.

I’ve not read David Baldacci’s other books, but I enjoyed his style and voice in The Christmas Train.

Christmas at Gate 18 by Amy Matayo

Amy Matayo’s writing is as sharp and smart as ever in Christmas at Gate 18. First person point of view, present tense is not a favorite of mine, but the author knows her characters well enough to make it work.

Despite the fact I have difficulty relating to achingly beautiful, supremely rich people, Amy Matayo humanizes the characters enough that I think I could’ve grown to like Rory and Colt more if it weren’t for Colt’s consistent and near-constant objectification of Rory.

I know Colt turns over a bit of a new leaf toward the end, but he so convincingly lusted for Rory from the beginning (even implying he’d used her pictures for self-gratification) that I had trouble buying an instant transformation. Rory herself, despite statements to the contrary, never seems comfortable with the fact that she gets paid big bucks for having her beauty exploited at the expense of her personal dignity. In the end, I only half-heartedly rooted for their getting together.

Silver Bells by Deborah Raney

This sweet and clean romance with well-developed main characters makes for a delightful Christmas read. I enjoyed the 1970s timer period, which I don’t run across often. I’m looking forward to reading more by Deborah Raney.

You didn’t think I’d leave out my own Christmas novel, did you?

[image error]One of my favorite reviews of Ornamental Graces, from author Stephanie Landsem:

Carolyn Astfalk has once again written a beautiful story of two people falling in love. More than a romance, it’s an exploration of two hearts as they try to figure out if they belong together. Strong characters, excellent secondary characters (something Carolyn excelled at in her debut novel, Stay with Me) and a twisty, turny plot that was far from predictable, Ornamental Graces is a great read that is lighthearted at times, but with great depth where it counts.

And there’s more!

[image error]For some reason, I failed to review Remembering Christmas by Dan Walsh. It’s an enjoyable read more concentrated on family than romance. Set in both the present day and the 1970s.

 

[image error]And, I also failed to review the first two books in Melissa Tagg’s Enchanted: A Christmas Collection. I thoroughly enjoyed these novellas and fully intend to read the third installment this month! Well-written, sweet, clean, but not fluffy romances that are perfect for the season.

Check out the conversation on last month’s Sabbath Rest Book Talk featuring Christmas Grace by Leslie Lynch, The Birds’ Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggins, and Unearthing Christmas by Anthea T. Piscarik.


You can also peruse the selections on my Goodreads Christmas shelf!
Check out these recommendations from my friend and avid reader Barb:

The Gift Counselor by Sheila M. Cronin
An Endless Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti
What Light by Jay Asher
The Christmas Club by Barbara Hinske




Don’t forget my Christmas book recommendations for all ages:

[image error] [image error]

 

 

 

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FROM MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS![image error]

The post Christmas Reading Recommendations appeared first on Carolyn Astfalk, Author.

Author Interview with A.K. Frailey

Melchior: Vengeance Is Mine is a sweeping saga that shows the generational effects of our choices. The tapestry of interwoven characters was rich and well done, in my opinion. I’ve seen written that during the development of the novel, your husband passed away. How was the novel’s development affected by your grief, and how did that grief affect the novel?

[image error]Writing has always been a bit if an escape from reality and yet an opportunity to look at life—my life as well as life in general—from a fresh angle. John suffered the effects of Leukemia for four years before he passed away, so my writing during those years shadowed that reality. Many questions arose while I watched the man I loved suffer and die. At the same time, God’s grace remained tangible and held me together far better than I realized during the ordeal. The dual reality of grief and comfort, testing and surrender, informed the complexities of the novel. I realized I could no longer simply tell a “story.”  Rather, I reflected through character, plot, and setting something of life’s mystery, which pointed to something beyond me as a writer and humanity as a whole. That is the core of Melchior’s journey—to realize that he didn’t have to understand God or even himself; he simply needed to allow God to grow inside him no matter what was happening around him.

Last of Her Kind, a science fiction novel, is vastly different from your other (historical) novels. In it, dying humanity encounters an alien race. What inspired a story radically different from your other work? What was its genesis?

[image error]I wrote the original version of Last of Her Kind twenty years ago, when I was pregnant with my second son. At that time, I had to make a choice between writing, managing the details of my home, raising little ones, and homeschooling. I chose to put the writing aside. The spring after John passed away, a friend I had not heard from in years called to offer her condolences. During our conversation, she reminded me of my first story idea and suggested that I get back to it.

At the time, I wasn’t sure I would ever write again. I didn’t feel I was a good writer, and I was emotionally drained. But a series of incidents kept bringing the story back to my mind, and I decided to enroll in a graduate level writing program. I worked on Last of Her Kind through the summer and rewrote it during my graduate program and even completed a screenplay based upon the novel. I decided to attempt a new style of writing—more visual and modern. Science fiction fit the bill and happened to match the genre of Last of Her Kind.

The Adventures of Tally-Ho is a children’s picture book. How did you find the process of creating a book for young children different from publishing a novel?

[image error]The Adventures of Tally-Ho was an uncompleted project that John and I had started together. When I decided to finish it, I had to find an artist to replace John’s work, which he had only just begun. Christine deShazo is a gifted artist, and she brought the story to life better than I had dared to dream. It would hardly have been a story without her pictures. I have worked with editors, proofreaders, and book designers in the past, but working with an artist was new territory. I enjoyed the experience mostly because Christine’s talents and enthusiasm complemented the story so well.

You have self-published eight books for adults, one for children, and produced a steady stream of short stories over the past five years. And you’ve earned an advanced degree. How do you make time for writing amidst all of your other responsibilities? 

It has to be a God-thing because I can’t explain it. The kids, school, and home come first, so I only write in the in between times: after school, in the evening, or at odd moments on the weekend. I used to keep a schedule, but life is never predictable, so I constantly flex my schedule to deal with the unexpected. Perhaps allowing myself that flexibility has been the key—I’m not sure.

Your children have developed a love for writing too. How have you fostered literary and creative interests in them?

My eldest son Ian just graduated with a degree in Computer Animation, and he is just now setting up his own freelance illustration business. He also writes and shares his work with the family. His first young-adult fantasy novel, The Dwarven Pillar, should be out in 2018. My second daughter, Teresa, is also an accomplished writer, though she has not planned to publish any of her work—at least not yet. We enjoy gathering as a family to listen to each other’s latest creation. It draws us together, and, frankly, it’s a wonderful source of family entertainment. Two of my other daughters enjoy drawing and painting, and we hang their pictures around the house. Enjoying each other’s creative endeavors had been a source of joy and an inspiration to us all.

What project(s) are you working on now?

Currently, I am completing my newest 2018 short stories series, which will include a new historical—science fiction blend. Each of my novels follow the same family line—from Aram in ancient times to Melchior in the Medieval ages—all the way into our science fiction future. It occurred to me that it might be interesting to consider what the alien worlds I encounter in Last of Her Kind and Newearth—Justine Awakens (due out in 2018) would have thought of early humanity. So I wrote stories involving the characters from my science fiction novels observing the characters from my historical fiction work in The Deliverance Trilogy, Georgios, and Melchior.

I’m also writing a few literary short stories to share with the online sites—CatholicMom.com and Catholic365.

In addition, I’m in the final stages of development for Newearth—Justine Awakens and finishing the first draft of my next novel—Newearth—A Hero’s Crime.

I like to work on various projects to give my writing a fuller perspective and allow a change of pace when I need it. I also like to stay sane. Time will tell . . .

[image error]As an author and teacher with a degree in Elementary Education, Ann Frailey has written and published nine books, and several of her articles have been published in national magazines. In 2016, she earned a Masters of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing for Entertainment from Full Sail University and won two course director’s awards.

Ann belongs to the Catholic Writer’s Guild, home schools, and maintains a mini-farm with her children and their numerous critters. She is currently working on a science fiction and literary, short story series, a new science fiction novel, and a science fiction, miniseries screenplay. To check out her short stories and information about her current writing projects, visit her blog: https://akfrailey.com/blog/

Website:  https://akfrailey.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AnnKFrailey/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AkFrailey

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FROM MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS![image error]

The post Author Interview with A.K. Frailey appeared first on Carolyn Astfalk, Author.

Help Support Corinna Turner’s Elfling in Its Amazon Scout Campaign

[image error]

Corinna Turner’s latest novel, Elfling, has been accepted for an Amazon Kindle Scout campaign. To help it go further, it needs lots of nominations! Anyone who nominates it will get a free Kindle copy if the campaign is successful.

Nominate Elfling!

What’s the Amazon Kindle Scout campaign?

Corinna Turner’s new novel, Elfling, is currently under consideration for a contract with Kindle. Kindle wants to know which books readers actually want to read, so they invite readers to let them know by nominating books via Kindle Scout. Readers who nominate Elfling will get a free Kindle copy if Kindle takes on the book.

[image error] Alone on the streets of London, young Serapia Ravena seeks the Duke she believes to be her father; her only hope of survival…

Thirteen-year-old Lady Serapia Ravena has lived as an urchin on the streets of London since her mother’s death. Thrown from the house by her uncle, her only companion is her strange little pet, the ‘lizard chick’ Raven. Her only hope is a ring, and her mother’s dying command, ‘find the Duke of Albany’. But she has sought him in vain for years.

When the elusive Duke suddenly returns to the city, Serapia finds a loving father, and a wealthy, powerful one too. He thwarts her uncle’s murderous plans, and her life seems to have righted itself, with only happiness in store.

But it soon becomes clear that her father hides a dark secret, one that threatens his very life, and his very soul. The search for his salvation will carry Serapia hundreds of leagues, to the heart of the wild places, and to the fort of the elfin, bringing her face to face with her own mysterious heritage.

Read a sample of Elfling.
Nominate @CorinnaTAuthor ‘s Elfling in the Kindle Scout Campaign! #Kindle #CatholicTeenBooksTweet This
Nominate Elfling!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FROM MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS![image error]

The post Help Support Corinna Turner’s Elfling in Its Amazon Scout Campaign appeared first on Carolyn Astfalk, Author.

Doing the Most With and For the Least This Christmas

I considered whether this post didn’t belong in November, the month in which Catholics traditionally remember the poor souls in Purgatory. Is a reflection on conversion, sacrifice, and the last things too melancholy for the pre-Christmas season?

But “pre-Christmas” isn’t really a season. A marketing device maybe, but not a true season and definitely not a liturgical season. The more I thought, the more I became convinced that Advent is a perfect time to meditate on sin and conversion.

Isn’t the Christmas season, despite its joy, a time when many experience sadness and longing for Christmases past and suffer anew the loss of those they loved?


What better preparation is there for Christmas than conversion of heart?

My brief visit to our hometown at Thanksgiving played like a succession of soft, if persistent, calls to a more profound prayer, sacrifice, and conversion on my part.

The pump was primed, so to speak, by what I’d been reading. I’d finally begun a remarkable little prayer book offered to me months ago for my review: St. Faustina Prayer Book for the Conversion of Sinners by Susan Tassone (aka “The Purgatory Lady.”)

I’d simultaneously been reading and critiquing a manuscript by my friend and fellow author Theresa Linden. Tortured Soul, which I can’t wait to see published, is a supernatural thriller, which deftly – and very creepily! – brings to life the plight of the poor souls in Purgatory. Especially those who have no one to pray for them.

As I shuffled through my mother’s recently vacated, nearly empty home, gazing at the remnants of a fifty-year marriage, four children, grandchildren, and decades more of life, I uncovered tangible reminders of a soul’s worth.

Family photos of my mother and father with her eight siblings (two were already deceased) and their spouses. My mother alone is still with us.

A rickety night stand drawer with banded stacks of memorial cards marking the entrance to eternal life of dozens of my dad’s family and friends. A necrology in blue pen on yellow legal paper of celebrities and movie stars from my dad’s youth. Tucked in my mother’s dresser drawer, a list of the family members she’d faithfully, annually enrolled in the Miraculous Medal Association. On her desk, envelopes marked remembering her husband, my dad, in perpetual Masses.

[image error]

While we were in town, we took our children to the cemeteries to visit family members’ graves. Under gray November skies, no flowers decorated the graves. Only dead leave skittered in the wind, collecting in front of the headstones.

This is our end. Ours and everyone we love. Everyone we despise.

Death is a great equalizer.

We prayed for our family members, and my daughter, who had visited our parish cemetery with her classmates the week before, recited a traditional prayer for souls:

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And may perpetual light shine upon them. And may all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God,  rest in peace. Amen.

And then our son surprised us by repeating it, in Latin. (So maybe the staggering tuition bills for Catholic school are worth it.)

I’m convinced that though this may be the most financially-strained Christmas I’ve experienced, I am rich with treasures I can give.

What better way is there to remember our loved ones than by praying for them?


What greater kindness can we offer the stranger, those living and deceased, than to pray for them?


When has our culture, ravaged by violence, predation, hate, immorality, and cynicism, so desperately needed our prayers and sacrifices?

Even my easy, comfortable life is ripe with opportunities for simple prayer and sacrifice. I have here, on my desk, a printout of all of those killed by sniper fire in Las Vegas in October. A little photo and a little obituary. Every person and every grieving loved one left behind an opportunity.

When I ignore the urge to check my cellphone, stay in the slow lane, listen through the song I don’t like, or smile through a child’s ramblings, I can do good.

When I reject a handful of pretzels, keep a snide remark to myself, or squeeze in a decade of the Rosary rather than mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, I can do good. God can take those little things united to Jesus’s sacrifice and do something great with them.

For my own soul, I hope. For the conversion of my family. For the souls of loved ones who have gone before me. And for those in most need of my prayers.

I can’t cover that with tinsel or top it with a red bow. It’s not easily wrapped, doesn’t jingle, and won’t fit in a stocking.

But I’m pretty certain its value exceeds whatever any one of us will find under our tree Christmas morning.

The best gift I’ll give this Christmas will be borne of prayer & sacrifice. Tweet This

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FROM MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS![image error]

[image error] [image error]

The post Doing the Most With and For the Least This Christmas appeared first on Carolyn Astfalk, Author.

Under the Catholic Child’s Christmas Tree: A Book-Giving Guide

[image error]During Advent, the Christmas books are slipped off of the shelves for bedtime reading. Our hodgepodge collection includes Christian and secular Christmas stories, old and new. Some are cheap Scholastic books about characters who are little more than a cog in the marketing machine. (Those, I try to avoid.) Others are classics we relish every year.

We also give each child a book as part of their Christmas gift. As the kids grow older, the books grow longer, and I’m more frequently looking for selections from my fellow authors at Catholic Teen Books.

Here are some ideas that I hope will find a spot under the Christmas tree of a child you love.

Under the Catholic Child’s Christmas Tree: A Book-Giving GuideTweet This

[image error]Little Lamb Finds Christmas by Cathy Gilmore

The Nativity written from a lowly animal’s perspective is not unique (see The Christmas Mouse below.) But instead of the cutesy rendering normally found in such a book, Little Lamb Finds Christmas has more than a touch of realism: an accurate description of a manger, stinky animals, and illustrations picturing the Holy Family not as Caucasians, but closer in features and skin tone to how they likely appeared. A refreshing take on the Christmas story. (Picture book.)

[image error]

Seven Riddles to Nowhere by A.J. Cattapan

This is the kind of book I imagine a kid unwrapping  Christmas morning and then devouring over the course of a lazy Christmas Day by the light of the Christmas tree. With a series of riddles to solve, kids will find this difficult to put down. (Middle grade chapter book.)

[image error]The Other Side of Christmas by Beth Gully

Hands down this is the most unique Christmas book I’ve read! The Other Side of Christmas is an ambigram book. Read the contemporary story of Christmas, then FLIP IT UPSIDE DOWN and read the biblical message of the holiday. Kids and adults alike will marvel at the author’s creativity on each and every page. (Picture book fun for all ages.)

[image error]Roland West, Loner by Theresa Linden

A terrific introduction to Theresa Linden’s books for Catholic teens! No reader can resist shy but earnest Roland, bullied by his brothers and alienated from his peers. Readers will relish his story as  he forges friendships both in his new school and beyond. (For middle schoolers and teens.)

[image error]The Forgotten Christmas Saint: Saint Anastasia by Susan Peek

Long-overlooked patroness of martyrs Saint Anastasia gets center stage in the story of her life and death, including her friendship with Saint Theodota. Her story, delivered in a conversational tone, presents both her suffering and miraculous survival. (Illustrated story for early elementary-aged children and littler ones with good attention spans.)

[image error]

Rosa, Sola by Carmela Martino

A tender story of hope, loss, and family life. The mid-20th century setting in a large Italian-American Chicago family grounds the story in the reality that life is filled with heartbreak but also enduring love. Poignant and memorable.  (For middle grade readers and middle schoolers.)[image error]

Adventures of Faith, Hope, and Charity: Finding Patience by Virginia Lieto

An attractive story that will help children understand the virtue of patience – not just the short-term “wait until I’m done” patience, but the long-term, “God hears and answers our prayers in His time, not ours” patience. Includes a delightful twist that will leave you smiling (Picture book.)

[image error]Little Star by Anthony DeStefano

We’ve had anthropomorphic animals at the Nativity, now a star! The story, with warm, Christmasy illustrations, depicts the Christ child’s humble birth from the perspective of the Star of the East (which may also sit atop your Christmas tree). Even more interesting, the star goes supernova! (Picture book.)

The Christmas Mouse [image error] by Stephanie Jeffs 

A mouse goes on an adventure via a boot and a book, finding himself transported to the night of Christ’s birth. He becomes a witness to the Nativity, glorying in the Messiah’s birth. (Picture book with a  lot of text. May not hold the youngest children’s attention.)

[image error]

Joy to the World: Christmas Stories and Songs by Tomie dePaola

This treasury makes a lovely gift! It includes several Christmas carols as well as three of Tomie de Paola’s Christmas books: The Night of Las Posadas, The Story of the Three Wise Kings, and The Legend of the Poinsettia (my personal favorite). If you’ve never read Tomie de Paola’s books, now is the time to start! (Picture books.)

[image error]

Molly McBride and the Plaid Jumper by Jean Schoonover-Egolf

Lovely illustrations accompany the sweet, sometimes humorous story of Molly McBride as she overcomes her kindergarten apprehension – from meeting new friends to donning that plaid jumper. Chock full of simple lessons, this is a great read aloud. Teaches children the role of uniforms and the importance of what we wear, the nature of priesthood, and the overriding lesson of God’s unconditional love for us. (Picture book.)

(Yes, I know that’s ELEVEN, but I accidentally included eleven in my other Christmas shopping guide, and I like to be consistent. ;-))

Photo credit: Gareth Harper

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FROM MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS![image error]

The post Under the Catholic Child’s Christmas Tree: A Book-Giving Guide appeared first on Carolyn Astfalk, Author.

An Open Book

[image error]

Welcome to the December 2017 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!

[image error]During our Thanksgiving travels across Pennsylvania, my husband began listening to The Rise of the Fourth Reich: The Secret Societies That Threaten to Take Over America by Jim Marrs. I confess to only half listening in the car, but I know that the book traces the legacies of the high-ranking European Nazis who made their way to corporate America at the end of World War II.

[image error]I just finished reading Billie Jauss’s soon-to-be-released book Making Room: Doing Less So God Can Do More (available for pre-order). I first met Billie through 10 Minute Novelists and was blessed to meet her in person a couple of years ago at a Pittsburgh Pirates game. (Her husband, Dave, is a coach.) Making Room recounts her spiritual journey from a busy life filled with her own priorities to an intentional life with God at the center. The author’s pitfalls and suggestions for overcoming them will resonate with women who want more from their relationship with Christ, but can’t seem to order their lives to make that happen.

[image error]After seeing approximately 1,594 previews for The Christmas Train movie on the Hallmark Channel, I stumbled across the audiobook on Hoopla. The more audiobooks I listen to, the pickier I’ve become about narration. So far, actor Tim Matheson’s narration of The Christmas Train by David Baldacci has been excellent! I’m only a few chapters in and a few anachronistic details threw me off course, but so far, so good. I’m in Christmas reading mode and looking forward to the remainder of the book.

[image error]My son read the Book of Job and God’s Favorite by Neil Simon during our Thanksgiving travels. As you might guess, since the author is Neil Simon, God’s Favorite is a  play, and it’s a modern look at Job. It’s short, and, my son said, very funny. Adding it to my to-read list.

[image error]My fourth-grade daughter is reading a book I originally bought for her brother and read aloud. Destination Bethlehem by Shannon R. Altman and Christine M. Winkelman makes perfect Advent reading.  Two boys travel from Palestine to Bethlehem at the time of the Messiah’s birth. Its twenty-four chapters can be read one a day during the month of December in anticipation of Christmas.

[image error]Plain Girl by Virginia Sorensen became another Thanksgiving travel read. I guess the title should have tipped me off, but with only a desk on the cover of the library version my daughter borrowed, I didn’t realize the book was about plain folk. The premise is an Amish girl, Esther, attending a public school.

[image error]My kindergartener is going through easy reader books quicker than I can keep up with!  While at the library this week, I introduced her to Poppleton in Winter by Cynthia Rylant. The simple, humorous stories feature a pig (Poppleton) and his friends Cherry Sue (a llama) and Hudson (a mouse). I highly recommend Poppleton for beginning readers.

[image error]My  youngest child brought home The Promise Quilt by Candice F. Ransom from a blanket-themed story time.  This sad, but ultimately hopeful, story centers around a Civil War era girl whose father dies in battle. The red shirt he left behind becomes the family’s means of achieving the dreams he had for them. Touching.

What are you reading? Share it at An Open Book and find new book recommendations too! #openbookTweet This

[image error] Loading InLinkz ...

Want more details on An Open Book? You can also sign up for An Open Book reminder email, which goes out one week before the link-up. No blog? That’s okay. Just tell us what you’re reading in the comment box.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FROM MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS![image error]

 

The post An Open Book appeared first on Carolyn Astfalk, Author.

Catholic Christmas Book-Giving Guide: Ten Picks for Your Holiday Shopping

[image error]

I perused the books I’ve read this year and have come up with ten that would make excellent Christmas gifts!

Six are fiction, and four are nonfiction, because fiction is my favorite (and I make no apology for that).

I noted whether a book would be best for a particular age or gender. The novels, written by Catholic authors,  would appeal to most anyone – whether of strong or little faith, Catholic or otherwise. The nonfiction books would appeal most to Catholics who practice their faith, at least to some degree.

Catholic Christmas Book-Giving Guide: Ten Picks for Your Holiday ShoppingTweet This

[image error] Turning In Circles by Michelle Buckman

Beautifully-written story in the style of classic Southern U.S. fiction. Michelle Buckman weaves an alluring tale of a young woman’s attempts to save her sister from self-destruction. (Teens and up.)

[image error] Fatima: The Apparition That Changed the World by Jean M. Heimann

Perfect for the centennial of the famed Marian apparitions, this beautiful book is perfect for display and easily accessible. It places the apparitions in historical and ecclesiastical context accompanied by beautiful photographs. (All ages.)

[image error] The Other Side of Freedom by Cynthia T. Toney

A suspenseful and entertaining tale set in the South in the early 20th century. A unique setting with diverse characters. (Middle grade readers, boys and girls, and teen and adult fans of historical fiction.)

[image error] St. Faustina Prayer Book for the Conversion of Sinners by Susan Tassone

A prayer companion that will re-invigorate your devotion to prayer and fasting for your loved ones, living and deceased, with simple and beautiful prayers to help adapt this devotion to your life. (For Catholics of all ages.)

[image error] The Grace Crasher by Mara Faro

A wonderfully-written, laugh-out loud funny novel with depth where it counts. A young woman fakes her faith in order to rent a room from a Christian woman. She doesn’t bargain on the woman’s attractive son, who alternately wants to date her and convert her. (Suitable for adult women of any or no faith, but Catholics and evangelical Christians will “get” this book better than others.)

[image error] Walk in Her Sandals: Experiencing Christ’s Passion through the Eyes of Women edited by Kelly M. Wahlquist

Experience Lent and the Passion of Christ like never before with this unique blend of nonfiction and fiction (by the talented Stephanie Landsem). Will draw you more intimately into the events of Holy Week. (For Catholic women, teens and up.)

[image error] Julia’s Gifts by Ellen Gable

Be entertained by this sweet romance set primarily in France during World War I. You’ll see both the bitterness of warfare and the beauty of love in this story built on miracles, little and big. (For teens and up, especially fans of clean romance and/or historical fiction.)

[image error] The Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion: A Book of Daily Reflections edited by Lisa M. Hendey

Bring focus to each day with simple reflections and prayers based on the secular and liturgical calendar. Easily digestible with food for thought. Varied authors and perspectives fill each day with fresh insights. (Best for Catholic women, especially mothers.)

[image error] Dying for Compassion by Barbara Golder

Barbara Golder’s second installment in the Lady Doc Murders can be read as a standalone. (But if you haven’t read the first, you’ll probably want to grab that one too!) An intricate story with masterful character development. (Great for adult mystery lovers, male or female.)

[image error] Divine Mercy for Moms: Sharing the Lessons of St. Faustina by Michele Faehnle and Emily Jaminet

Simple, practical and relatable suggestions for living the Divine Mercy devotion amidst the craziness of raising a family. Great for groups, but suitable for reading alone as well. (For Catholic women.)

[image error] A Single Bead by Stephanie Engelman

A captivating story of the power of prayer. Discover (or re-discover) the magnificent ways God works in and through us with our cooperation and prayers. A realistic story free of sappiness or cheap plot devices. (Written for teens, but enjoyed by adults as well.)

(Whoops! That’s eleven.)

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FROM MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS![image error]

The post Catholic Christmas Book-Giving Guide: Ten Picks for Your Holiday Shopping appeared first on Carolyn Astfalk, Author.

Indie Christian Books Blog Tour & Sale

[image error]While it’s still another month until Christmas begins, the pre-Christmas gift-buying season is in full swing! Beginning November 24 and running through November 30, Indie Christian Books has the perfect event to satisfy all of your book-buying, gift-giving needs!

A huge selection of independently-published Christian books are currently on sale. You can find discounted paperbacks, dozens of books offered with free shipping, $0.99 ebooks, package deals and more. Even if your budget has depleted by early Christmas buying, we have some freebies for you! Need even more of a reason to support indie authors and fill your shelf with good stories? When you purchase a paperback book through indiechristianbooks.com you’ll be eligible to enter an exclusive giveaway including free books and an Amazon gift card!

You can meet our authors by visiting the Author Database on the website. Want to get to know the authors better AND have the chance to win some fun prizes? Join the weeklong Facebook party which will feature 39 authors over 7 days.

DEALS on Indie Christian Books! Sales on ebooks & paperbacks. www.indiechristianbooks.com #ChristFicTweet This
A note on the Ebooks Only page:

All books are listed as “Sold Out.” This only refers to paperback copies of these titles. Please click onto the product pages to find descriptions and links to discounted or free ebooks.

Acknowledgments:

Thanks to Leah E. Good and Kendra E. Ardnek for their work organizing this sale, and Hannah Mills for her fantastic design work on the website graphics. Hannah can be contacted at hmills(at)omorecollege(dot)edu for more information about her design services.

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

The post Indie Christian Books Blog Tour & Sale appeared first on Carolyn Astfalk, Author.

Digging Deeper, Growing in Virtue Through Fiction

Contemporary authors, particularly independently-published authors or ones published by small presses, face seemingly unlimited obstacles to finding readers for their books.

Some are as simple and as critical as quality. Some fall under personal taste or prejudice. Readers have many valid reasons for rejecting a book.

For authors, it is a multifaceted  problem including everything from marketing to the widespread availability of free entertainment.

Writers in my Catholic fiction niche have additional obstacles. The secularization of society, the predominance of Evangelical Christianity in American publishing, the hunger for Catholic catechesis following what author Mara Faro calls “the Felt Banner Years,” and, finally, what I’ll call the Tolkein/O’Connor factor. (The belief that everything contemporary falls short of these Catholic literary greats and is therefore not worth reading.)

There is one objection, however, that has increasingly become a burr under my saddle, as they say.

That despite the fact that Jesus taught using parables, fiction is a waste of time. That, at best it’s frivolous and at worst, it’s harmful. Of course individual books may be both or neither of those things, but let’s just take fiction as a whole.

Why do people consider stories to be a waste of time?

Is it because they are not “productive?”

I can’t close the cover on a novel and scribble out a to-do list or a self-help prescription for what ails me, as author Erin McCole Cupp has said.

(In the monthly video chats she hosts, Erin McCole Cupp is using fiction of various genres and for different ages to highlight fiction’s unique humanizing quality. Sabbath Rest Book Talk highlights stories that enrich by moving our hearts in ways that nonfiction, be design, cannot.)

Is it because they are mere entertainment?

In a society with more competing sources of entertainment than in all of history, we haven’t satiated our need or desire to be entertained.

Fiction can and should be both productive and entertaining, but not in the same way that nonfiction is.

Good nonfiction affects the mind. The best of it (the kind that is written like fiction, I’d contend), affects the heart as well.

Good fiction affects the soul. It builds empathy in a way that nonfiction cannot by putting the reader in the place of another, allowing the reader to think and feel what another thinks and feels. To see the world through another’s eyes if only for the space of 300 pages.

I’m not saying that nonfiction has no value. It is, of course, important – from textbooks to biographies to histories to spiritual treatises and more. But it is not by its nature morally superior to fiction.

Fiction is not inherently morally inferior to nonfiction.

Fiction can enrich our lives in myriad ways. That’s why I’m so pleased to see that Virtue Works Media has introduced its Totally Feminine Genius Generations Book Club.

[image error]

Totally Feminine Genius Generations Book Club “celebrates the feminine side of VIRTUE with women in every season of life: MOTHERS, daughters, SISTERS, aunts, GRANDMOTHERS, grand-daughters, COUSINS, in-laws, NEIGHBORS & friends.”

What a fantastic way to foster virtues in young women! By sharing a story, which is the method Jesus used to teach, we comprehend more fully.Tweet This

Take a topic near and dear to my heart: St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. You can hand your teen daughter the original text of the Pope’s weekday audiences on the topic for her to digest. Better yet, you can hand her a copy of several excellent books that help simplify the theology. Better still, hand her one that is aimed at teens. Best of all, pair it with a story that illustrates the principles, humanizing them through experience.

Let her get inside of the head of the young woman whose ideas about femininity and sexuality were distorted by repressive ideology. Allow her to experience the consequences of sexual sin without having to live them herself. Let her see what chaste relationships look like in comparison to unchaste ones and the challenges of both.

Fill her head with facts, yes, but fill her heart with empathy, humility, and understanding.

And most powerful of all, SHARE that experience with her. You’ll both be better for it.

I’m so pleased that Stay With Me has been included in the Totally Feminine Genius Generational Book Club Guide, which can be easily downloaded and reproduced.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FROM MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS![image error]

The post Digging Deeper, Growing in Virtue Through Fiction appeared first on Carolyn Astfalk, Author.

Relevant Fiction Reviews: Historical Fiction from the World Wars

[image error]

I’ve read surprisingly few wartime novels outside of the Civil War era, and Ellen Gable’s latest book is the first I’ve ever read concerning World War I. Wartime is rich with possibilities for storytellers. Romance, danger, and intrigue are just a few of the elements a wartime setting lends to a novel. These books are a small sampling of the possibilities.

Julia’s Gifts by Ellen Gable

As someone who is fairly ignorant of World War I history, I soaked up the details of Julia’s Gifts as Philadelphia-native Julia and Canadian-born Peter become immersed in the horrors of wartime France.

One of the things I enjoy about Ellen Gable’s writing is her treatment of the whole character – body and soul. I’ve come to expect stories illumined by the Catholic faith that never shy from the physical realities that ground us as human beings. Julia’s Gifts delivers on both counts, honestly conveying the brutality of war illness and injury yet keeping hope alive through a faith that overcomes even the most hopeless of circumstances.

I loved the premise of a young woman storing up gifts for her future “beloved.” Even today, many have created such specific and elaborate expectations for their future spouse, courtship, wedding, etc. that they risk missing what God is setting before them.

Fans of historical romance will enjoy this sweet story with its timely miracles, great and small.

Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohlke

Beautifully-crafted novel written mainly from the perspective of Americans in Oberammergau, Germany before the United States’ entry into World War II. Author Cathy Gohlke takes the reader inside the lives of a pair of sisters unwittingly used by the infamous Josef Mengele in his eugenics experiments.

By interweaving elite Aryan society with simple Bavarian culture, the author allows the reader to examine the triumph of evil in Nazi Germany from various sides. The vile destruction of life and culture is personalized by the heartbreaking journey of young Amelie, the daughter of a heartless SS officer.

With subtle themes of faith woven throughout the spiritual and geographic journeys of Americans Rachel Kramer and Jason Young, the story examines Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s idea of “costly grace” in the sacrifices each must make for both those they love and relative strangers endangered by Hitler’s destructive rule.

Saving Amelie is a well-written, well-researched story that makes the reader wonder anew how such horrors ever happened and whether they could happen again.

Bright Candles by Nathaniel Benchley

My prior knowledge of the Danish resistance during WWII was zilch, but this well-written, engaging novel brought to life the slowly deteriorating conditions in Denmark during the German occupation.

I had to jump through some hoops to obtain a copy of this book, but having read it, I wish it were more readily available to teens and adults. There’s much to recommend it – a story of friendship, family, wartime romance, liberty, and self-determination.

From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon

From Sand and Ash made me nervous from the outset. A romance involving a Catholic priest? I feared the story would only raise my hackles. (We’ll call it Thornbirds syndrome.) Based on my love for the six other Amy Harmon novels I’ve read, I was wiling to give it a shot. My final take: Angelo and Eva’s lack of virtue tarnished their otherwise tender romance.

While the characters’ temptations, struggles, and failures built empathy, their unrepentant, deliberate breaking of vows left me disappointed. When I read a romance, I want to root for the union of the hero and heroine, and I can’t do that when vows are broken in the process.

It’s easy to recognize the injustice of such infidelity when the jilted party is a living, breathing human being. Sympathies are easily dulled when the vows broken are made to the Church, lacking an individual who feels, cries, and grieves. Nevertheless, the vows are equally binding.

From the start, it’s obvious that Angelo entered the seminary for the wrong reasons and should never have been ordained. And surely the untenable – horrific -times in which Eva and Angelo lived affected their decisions. And yet Eva and Angelo exhibited heroic behavior – routinely risking their own welfare for the sake of others’ – in every area but their romantic relationship. Ultimately, that diminished my enjoyment of the romance.

There is, however, more to From Sand and Ash than romance. And in that regard, I think Amy Harmon did a stellar job. History was interwoven seamlessly throughout, and it’s obvious care was taken not only with historical accuracy but in details of the Catholic and Jewish faiths as well. As a Catholic, I noted only one minor error in the novel’s respectful representation of the faith. I appreciated how the story brings to light the sacrifices made by many, Italian Catholic clergy and religious in particular, in hiding and shielding Jews throughout the war.

From Sand and Ash took longer to hook me than any Amy Harmon book I’ve read. At least a third of the book was behind me before I felt invested in Angelo and Eva’s fate. In part, I think that may be because of what I’ll call deep omniscient point of view (POV). I don’t know if that’s a thing or not, but it seemed like the POV was meant to bridge the competing needs for an omniscient scope created by a sprawling historical topic like WWII and the closer, more personal POV demanded by a romance.

Worth noting for those who are sensitive to it, this book contains more sexuality than Amy Harmon’s earlier books. I hesitate to call it explicit because it is never vulgar or distasteful, but it’s also not a fade-to-black intimacy. And while it is not the cleanest Amy Harmon book from a sexual standpoint, it may be in respect to proofreading. The narrative was virtually free from typos, reducing distractions and making it a pleasure to read.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FROM MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS![image error]

The post Relevant Fiction Reviews: Historical Fiction from the World Wars appeared first on Carolyn Astfalk, Author.