Carolyn Astfalk's Blog, page 57
July 23, 2015
Small Success Thursday
Why small success? Because that’s the only kind I know! Even the big ones come in small steps. Here’s my paltry offering for the week.
Took the kids to the swimming pool. Doesn’t sound like much, but last year I was afraid to take them all swimming without another adult along. With only one adult for a one-year-old, a two-year-old, and a six-year-old who still needed a little supervision, I feared a drowning. It’s amazing what a year of maturity will do. Now the two oldest can play independently at the pool, and the two youngest are slightly less erratic and crazy.
Wrote an introductory letter to our sponsored child. For at least a decade we’ve sponsored a child through Unbound. We first sponsored a Guatemalan boy, then an Indian girl. Last week we received a photo of the young Honduran boy who will be our sponsor child. While our financial aid is consistent, our personal letters to the children have been infrequent – and I’m a writer! What’s with that? I’ve committed to regular communication with Dario, and we’re eager to learn more about him and his family.
Researched suitable reptilian/amphibian boarders. To fulfill the requirements for a Boy Scout merit badge, my son is required to make extensive, regular observations of a reptile or amphibian. I took my pet-deprived gang to a large pet store where we perused all manner of creatures, including sting-rays in the touch tank. My conditions were: (a) no animal that is likely to outlive me (b) minimal maintenance and expense (no heat lamps, filtration systems, etc.) and (c) a small living space – nothing larger than a ten-gallon tank. Conclusion: the sedentary Pac-Man frog may fit the bill. If you know some reason as to why this creature would not make a suitable pet, speak now or forever hold your peace.
The only Pac-Man I know how to feed and care for.
I let my seven-year-old tackle big jobs to earn some cash. My daughter has her heart set on an American Girl Terrier Puppy. My typical response to these types of requests is, “Save your money.” Dissatisfied with the number of weeks it will take for her to save enough commission (we do commission, not allowance a la Dave Ramsey), she asked for opportunities to earn some extra cash. In response to her persistence and ambition, I allowed her to attempt some jobs I wouldn’t ordinarily think to ask her to tackle: cleaning some windows and the interior of our minivan. Despite her age and size, she did a darn-good job. I see the future, and it’s spelled D-E-L-E-G-A-T-I-O-N.
Haven’t run home crying – yet. Thanks to the generosity and support of my husband, I’m spending several days at the Catholic Writers Guild Conference Live in a neighboring state. I have never been away from all of my children overnight. While the peace, quiet, and autonomy are a wonderful respite, I miss my kids. I miss their noise, their messes, their sweet smiles and laughter, and their pudgy, dirty little hands. Despite becoming verklempt a couple of times, I’ve managed to stay put and enjoy the conference without indulging temptations to hightail it home.
That’s all I’ve got. Celebrate more small successes over at CatholicMom.com.
Have you had any small successes this week?
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!
Filed under: My Scribbler's Heart Blog
July 20, 2015
Fiction From the Foothills: Interview with Leslie Lynch
Leslie Lynch writes “novels of suspense and healing.” She is the author of The Appalachian Foothills Series (Hijacked, Unholy Bonds, Opal’s Jubilee, and Christmas Hope.) Not only is she a writer, but she is a pilot and a nurse, possessing enough technical knowledge to make this writer jealous.
I’m fascinated by Appalachia. Maybe it’s my hometown’s proximity to West Virginia. Maybe it’s my affection for the people of the Virginia mountains who were ejected to establish Shenandoah National Park. In any case, I was intrigued by Opal’s visit to her Appalachian home in Opal’s Jubilee. Can you tell me a little about the Foothills region and why you chose it as a setting for the series? What is Appalachia like today?
Hi, Carolyn! First, I’d like to thank you for inviting me to your blog today. It’s an honor to visit with you and your readers!
My books (so far!) are set in Louisville, Kentucky, which is about a hundred miles from the foothills of the Appalachian range. A remote valley in that wilderness plays a large part in Hijacked, book 1 in the series; Opal McBride of Opal’s Jubilee (book 3), burst into my consciousness fully formed and from a small fictional town in western Kentucky on the edge of Appalachia. Mountain mists and hidden hollows spark my curiosity, and there’s a mystique about the folk art and culture that beguiles.
I am no expert on the region, and rely on my visits to Berea, Kentucky, home of Berea College, to create authentic characters. The college specifically serves students from impoverished circumstances in Appalachia while honoring and promoting the varied art forms unique to the area. My conversations with students, while brief, reveal lively, intelligent, pragmatic and quirky personalities—in other words, great fun to incorporate into my characters! In addition, I’ve listened to young people after mission trips to Appalachia as they describe poverty very much like the Indian reservations I’ve witnessed out West. So, while not an expert on the region, my interpretation of the setting is an amalgam of what I’ve experienced and what I imagine. Like any area, some towns are more developed and others less so. Changes in society and technology can both strengthen connections to the wider world and create deeper isolation. That aspect is evident in both Hijacked and Opal’s Jubilee.
The Appalachian Foothills Series, particularly Unholy Bonds, deals with restorative justice. My knowledge of it is limited to my superficial familiarity with Prison Fellowship. Can you give a thumbnail sketch of the concept and how you came to incorporate it into your work?
In my mind, Restorative Justice is a secular, practical application of the Biblical concept of forgiveness. It is used with great success in both criminal justice and school systems in a number of states and countries. Criminal justice (by itself) is concerned with what happened, who did it, and what punishment should be levied. Restorative Justice focuses on who has been harmed (which is both victim and perpetrator), how have lives been impacted, and how can healing occur. Standard criminal justice is about the responsibility and power of the state to maintain order in society; restorative justice is about restoring dignity. Perhaps the most difficult aspect is recognizing that the perpetrator of evil has harmed his or her own dignity in the commission of the crime. It’s easy to see the harm to the victim and others involved; the perpetrator, not so easy—but that awareness is crucial to our collective ability to see all people, no matter how flawed, as children of God.
My interest was initially piqued years ago. I was deeply moved by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa after apartheid fell. It amazed me that such deep societal and personal wounds could be addressed without violence. Then I heard an interview on NPR that featured several people who had suffered heinous crimes against them but chose to use the process of Restorative Justice instead of nurturing bitterness. I ran across several more instances of the practice and was so impressed, I decided to write Hijacked from that perspective. Unholy Bonds delves into the damage to the three protagonists’ lives as a result of a crime committed by one of them and their subsequent return to dignity as human persons through Restorative Justice.
The series is marked by some serious issues – rape, alcoholism, spousal abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, unplanned pregnancy – yet your characters are strong and resilient, and the stories resist the trap of becoming maudlin. Do you struggle to balance the heavy aspects with the romance or are they natural complements?
Thank you for your kind words about my work! Strong and resilient characters are important. I want readers to recognize that quality in themselves, especially if they identify with any of the subjects addressed. I think difficult issues and romance are natural complements; nobody makes it through life unscathed, and the story is that much sweeter when a couple finds love in the midst of trials. I would be lying if I said there was no struggle in finding the balance, though. I usually sense when things are getting too heavy or maudlin—and if I miss it, my critique partners don’t hesitate to tell me!
For me, the most romantic scene in Opal’s Jubilee was when the hero, Josh Boone, pulled the car over and vomited on the side of the road. To someone that hasn’t read the book, that must sound crazy, but it showed the depth of his compassion and his concern for Opal and it, and the preceding scenes, served as a sort of turning point in his attitude toward her. Did you construe that scene as romantic when you wrote it?
That’s an interes
ting interpretation, Carolyn! That’s what’s so cool about writing; my words are not complete until the reader experiences and responds to them. No, I didn’t envision that scene as romantic, but it was indeed the pivotal scene for Josh in terms of finally truly understanding Opal and the injustice(s) visited upon her.
The faith element is handled very deftly in your novels. It’s subtle but not shallow, and in your heroes in particular, it’s simply part of who they are. How do you straddle the line between popular and inspirational romance? Or am I creating a line that doesn’t exist, particularly as an independent author?
Again, thank you for your kind words. There is a definite line between popular and inspirational romance, so you are not creating a line that doesn’t exist. As an independent author, I have more latitude to write the faith element in a way that makes sense to me, and I really appreciate that. For instance, my Christian characters might utter a cuss word here or there; or not be Amish; or act contrary to their beliefs, creating situations that they then must face and rectify. For me, it comes down to good writing and characters who are true to whatever belief system they hold dear. Authenticity is key.
What’s next? What are you working on now?
Leslie Lynch
I’m about halfway through a full length novel about Josh Boone’s partner, Christian Hasselback, and a peace activist, Hannah Adams. I’m having a lot of fun with it in spite of the (again) profound issues they confront during their story. I hope to have another Christmas novella out in October, titled Christmas Grace. It follows three generations of women as they negotiate their way through life transitions as the holiday nears—and discover what matters most. Don’t hold me to all that, but that’s my plan!
Also, in “fresh off the press” status, an audio version of Hijacked is available on Audible, iTunes, and Amazon. That’s been an exciting project, and I am delighted with the outstanding work my very talented voice actor, Carol Dines, has done. The other books will come out in audio as well over the coming months, so if you are a fan of audiobooks, keep an eye out for them.
Thank you, again, Carolyn, for the opportunity to chat with your readers! It’s a pleasure and an honor to spend time with you today!
Award winning and Best Selling author Leslie Lynch gives voice to characters who struggle to find healing for their brokenness—and discover unconventional solutions to life’s unexpected twists. Leslie lives near Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and her adult children’s cats. While not engaged in wrestling the beautiful and prolific greenery of their yard into submission, she flies light aircraft, loves the exuberant creativity and color of quilting and pottery…and, of course, writes.
Website: http://www.leslielynch.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/LeslieLynchWrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Leslie_Lynch_
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/LeslieLynch
Hijacked
Unholy Bonds
Opal’s Jubilee
Christmas Hope
Filed under: My Scribbler's Heart Blog
July 17, 2015
Seven Quick Takes Friday
Week in Pittsburgh Edition
I’m still adapting to re-entry following vacation, so before I forget where we went and what we did, I’ll recap. We spent our vacation in the city where my husband and I spent the first twenty-five or so years of our lives: Pittsburgh. We’re the only members of our immediate family who no longer live there, so our visits are harried as we try to spend time with as many family members and friends as possible. This year we took a whole week, built around my niece’s wedding, and did some things we hadn’t had an opportunity to do with the kids – or even ourselves.
–1–
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Dinosaur bones at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History
On our first full day, we visited the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The kids enjoyed all of it, but especially the gems and minerals and, of course, the dinosaurs. My two-year-old ran from skeleton to skeleton, gibbering wildly. You really have to see them in person to appreciate their enormity.
–2–
Fort Pitt Museum
Captured by Indians Exhibit at the Fort Pitt Museum
I had never visited the Fort Pitt Museum before. The museum is situated alongside one of the entry ramps to the Fort Pitt Bridge and is easily overlooked. Despite their varied ages, all of the children enjoyed this museum as well. The ongoing Captured by Indians exhibit was fascinating, and if I ever find the time and energy to write historical fiction, I’ve got an idea based on the couple portrayed in the picture above.
–3–
Carnegie Science Center
Train display at Carnegie Science Center
Much to my children’s chagrin, the Carnegie Science Center was packed with summer day camp groups, which made our visit a little less enjoyable that we’d anticipated. We didn’t have time to explore all the exhibits or tour the submarine on this go-round, but we always enjoy the train display. This shot features an amusement park including a model of Kennywood’s Noah’s Ark atop the copse of trees in the center. I’m a huge fan of dark rides, so this has always been one of my favorites.
–4–
Mount Washington, Strip District, Point State Park
Mt. Washington Overlook
Kelly O’s in the Strip District
Fountain at Point State Park
We hit the major tourist spots, including Mt. Washington. I drove by the overlook pictured nearly every day for four years when I was in college. I think this was the second time I’d actually been on the overlook. My husband got a great shot including a thunderstorm coming in from the east. You can see the rainfall to the far right. One of the girls was whining about being thirsty, to which my husband replied, “Open your mouth. The rain’s coming.” She did, and it did. A short downpour had us racing back to the Duquesne Incline and Station Square.
I’d never really experienced the Strip District before this visit. I’d been to Primanti’s once and to some nightclubs on Smallman Street, but that was it. We visited several spots including Kelly-O’s Dinner, which was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Best omelet I’ve ever eaten, bar none. And it included Polish kielbasa.
We also visited Point State Park. Like the dinosaurs at the museum, the fountain’s size is best appreciated up-close. Those specs in the foreground are us.
–5–
Pirate Game and Fireworks Night
PNC Park, Pirates vs. Cardinals 7/9/2015
Despite the lingering rain, we attended the first game of the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals matchup at PNC Park. Even with a rain delay, the kids made it through to the post-game fireworks. Nobody does fireworks better than Zambelli. The display from one of the bridges over the Allegheny River was stunning.
–6–
“Beer-cation”
The Church Brew Works, Lawrenceville
My oldest dubbed our trip a “beer-cation” because Daddy made a good number of alcohol-related stops. It may have something to do with the fact that we gave him The Catholic Drinkie’s Guide to Home-Brewed Evangelism and Drinking with the Saints: The Sinner’s Guide to a Holy Happy Hour for Father’s Day.
We visited The Church Brew Works in the Lawrenceville section of the city, a brewery in the former St. John the Baptist Church. While the decor and atmosphere are tasteful, I’m still not sure how I feel about seeing brewing equipment where the altar once stood.
There were also brief stops at Wigle Whiskey, Hitchhiker Brewing Co., and Maggie’s Farm Rum Distillery.
–7–
Visits with Family and a Wedding
My children minutes before my niece’s wedding.
Best of all, we had time for visits with parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends. The week ended with my niece and goddaughter’s wedding. Our children were part of the wedding party, and they did look awfully cute if I say so myself.
###
For more Quick Takes, visit This Ain’t The Lyceum.
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!
Filed under: My Scribbler's Heart Blog
July 13, 2015
Things Change, You Change, It’s Okay
Some changes happen in the blink of an eye. (Think a lightning bolt strike.)
Some changes are such gradual transformations that the difference is nearly imperceptible except when glimpsed from afar. (Think the Grand Canyon’s creation.)
Changes may be monumental, calamitous, or inconsequential. The big changes are instantly recognizable, but the small, subtle shifts are often missed.
Little or big, gradual or instantaneous, many of us struggle with change and our reaction to it. Too often, I find myself unwilling to accommodate the changes in my life, pressing on as if things were the same as they’ve always been.
Photo: Oregon Department of Transportation
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Over the course of years, as I’ve gone from a working, single woman to a harried, at-home mom of a passel of children, my approach to most everything has changed – by necessity.
As I moved from spending my days in an office to my house, the sins and weaknesses I struggled with shifted. My approach (or lack thereof) to house cleaning somersaulted. My relationship with my husband changed, grew, and changed some more. Approaches and plans that had worked in the past ceased to produce results.
Times change.
Circumstances change.
YOU change.
As Holy Week approached this year, I was disappointed in what I’d “gotten out of” Lent. Mere days remained until Easter, and still I felt as if I hadn’t taken to heart the penitential spirit of the season. I hadn’t experienced growth. No deep spiritual insights or consolations. And I hadn’t DONE anything.
As I scurried from task to task and activity to activity, I became preoccupied with doing rather than being. And doing in precisely the same way I’d always done.
I was struck by a Facebook post by Father Michael Rothan. He wrote:
“So often, especially during this time of year, people look back on their childhood with a bit of melancholic nostalgia. They wish they were as close to God now as they were when they were little. They were so pious and prayerful. What we have to realize is that our spirituality must grow as we do. What makes you think God wanted your past piety, and He doesn’t want your present pain?”
What is it that made me feel now was inferior to then? That doing was more important than being? That worth was tied to what’s been accomplished? (A notion that, when extrapolated, leads to the devaluing of “nonproductive” lives.)
Maybe you can’t do what you once did – physically, spiritually, mentally. Maybe you have limitations.
Maybe you have changed.
It’s okay. None of us can escape change, good or bad.
Accept, adapt but don’t believe for a second that the present doesn’t matter. That every moment isn’t pregnant with possibility, regardless of the changes or the circumstances. That what you do is more important than who you are. That God doesn’t wait for you right where you’re at.
How do you struggle with change? Recognizing? Adapting to it? Accepting it?
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!
Filed under: My Scribbler's Heart Blog
July 7, 2015
Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Ways Music Helps Me Write
The title reads, “Top 10 Ways Music Helps Me Write,” but you could substitute the creative activity of your choice: painting, sculpting, or even more rote activities. I’ve written about the music related to the creation of Stay With Me. Music has an uncanny way of altering mood and spirit. I’ve found that the right music can help me cope on the most trying days, elevating frustration and drudgery with lightness and good humor.
I couldn’t resist this piano picture, mostly because it looks like every piano I’ve owned – missing a few ivories and , ahem, well-loved.
Serves as background noise. Sometimes a little white noise cuts the distraction. The rhythm and hum of music can help you tune out the random noises, sounds, and dare I say, voices, that drive you to distraction. My mom couldn’t understand it, but I often did high school homework with music in the background. It improved my concentration.
Sets a scene. The right song characterizes not just a sound, but a whole atmosphere. Depending on its era of origin, it can help establish setting: time and place.
Sets a mood. Music, whether instrumental or with lyrics, sets a mood and stirs particular feelings that the can be translated into words or action.
Tells a story. A good song tells a story with an economy of descriptive words, pregnant with meaning. Not only lyrics, but prose can benefit from that skill as well.
Helps foster creativity. In my experience, creativity feeds creativity. Nothing fires up the creative juices like listening to music, viewing art, reading a well-crafted novel or poem, or soaking in the magnificence of the outdoors, the ultimate creation.
Creates empathy for my characters. Identifying with a song’s “feeling” can help me empathize with a character, and therefore write with more honesty and credibility.
Invigorates. Nothing jump starts the ol’ heart like music. Languishing over tedious edits? Take a music break. Facing down scrubbing the toilet? Add a soundtrack. Music brings life.
A lyric to build on. Sometimes just a snippet of a song encapsulates an idea so perfectly that it serves as a foundation for dialogue or even a theme. In my current work-in-progress, Vance Joy’s “Your Mess Is Mine,” neatly fit the heroine’s acceptance of the hero’s damaged life. I slipped a similar line into her dialogue. Here’s the short passage from Ornamental Graces, Emily speaking: “. . . I can be right in the middle of the mixed-up mess of my life not knowing exactly where I’m going but be confident that’s where God wants me. That His plans don’t look like my plans. That perfect doesn’t necessarily mean flawless, but more like completed. Fulfilled. . . What I’m saying is, it’s okay. You don’t have to keep apologizing for your mess. Your mess is mine.”
Evokes memories. Music (second only to scents, in my experience) has an uncanny way of uncovering distant memories. It can help you recall an event, a mood, and particular feelings with clarity, which is priceless when attempting to “write what you know.”
Provides a familiar touchstone. In a shared culture, a song may be more than a song. It is a shared experience. National anthems, alma maters, songs used at sporting events, political campaigns, Christmas carols, or even viral videos create an instant connection with others, for better or worse.
Do you use music to foster creativity? To elevate moods? Just to get through the mundane parts of the day?
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!
Filed under: My Scribbler's Heart Blog
July 6, 2015
Stay With Me: The Recipes, Part II
Stay With Me will be available in less than three months! In May, I wrote about the music that inspired the book, and in April, I blogged about the settings. Last month, I shared several of the recipes for the delicious treats mentioned in the book. Rebecca does a lot of baking, so there’s plenty more to share this month!
Great Banana Bread
This is the first treat Rebecca bakes for Chris, to satisfy his sweet tooth.
My husband recently brought home a half-dozen bunches of large bananas left over from a Boy Scout event. We put them to use in a variety of ways, and I tried out a new chocolate chip banana recipe that I found on Pinterest. It was touted as “great” by a pastry chef, but I discovered it wasn’t nearly as great as the recipe my mom had shared with me. (It came out tasting delicious but with an extra goopy texture.) I tinkered with my mom’s recipe, and this is the result.
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed, ripe bananas (about three bananas)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Sift dry ingredients and combine with butter mixture. Add sour cream, banana, vanilla. Blend well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into well-greased loaf pan. Bake one hour. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool on wire rack.
Direct link to Great Banana Bread.
Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake
This recipe, which Rebecca bakes as a peace-offering, was quick and easy to mix. I realized midway that I was short on molasses but successfully substituted dark brown corn syrup for the remainder. The cake tastes like a fluffy gingerbread man cookie. And honestly, it could taste like dog chow and still be worth baking just for the heavenly aroma it creates. The cinnamon, cloves, and ginger make this a perfect recipe for a cool fall day. Warm with some whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream would be perfect!
Direct Link to Gingerbread Cake.
Sparkling Jumbo Blueberry Muffins
I baked these in a regular-sized muffin pan and was thrilled with the result. The mounded tops and sparkling white sugar make them look and taste like professionally-baked muffins – only fresher! Didn’t they turn out beautifully?
Direct link to Sparkling Jumbo Blueberry Muffins.
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!
Filed under: My Scribbler's Heart Blog
July 2, 2015
Small Success Thursday
Why small success? Because that’s the only kind I know! Even the big ones come in small steps. Here’s my paltry offering for the week.
Baked, baked, and baked some more. I killed my hand mixer, and my oven is liable to rebel from extreme overuse. It started with chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles for the junior high youth ministry. I suspected their energy levels might be depleted after zip lining and rolling around in an OGO ball.
I moved on to blueberry muffins and gingerbread cake for an upcoming blog post featuring more recipes from Stay With Me. Next came banana bread (see #3). And finally, I baked six-dozen heart-shaped beauties for the cookie table at my niece’s wedding next week. What? You don’t know what a cookie table is? I dare you to Google “Pittsburgh wedding cookie tables,” look at the images, and not salivate.
Created pool noodle light sabers. After witnessing a make-shift light saber duel using brooms, a butterfly net, and one beat-up plastic light saber, I spent six dollars on pool noodles. Cut, add a little duct tape, and voila.
Light-saber wielding lessons commence.
The bananas. My husband brought home about six bunches of leftover bananas from a scout event. I used enough to bake three banana breads then mashed and froze the rest. Here’s a preview of my favorite banana bread, which also turns up in Monday’s post. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/111886371969456206/
I put away the infant car seat. Take note: my youngest child turned two in February. He’s been in a booster-style seat for about six months. I finally cleaned up the old seat, which was taking up space in the mudroom, and packed it away. Now it sits in the garage until I (a) have another baby or (b) it reaches its expiration date and goes out with the trash. I understand laws/liability governing used seats, but it seems such a waste that no one will accept donation of a seat in nearly-new condition.
The clothes. I hesitate to include this because I am so far from success in this area. Far as Pluto is from the sun. We have three dressers for six people in this house. Five of those people share a closet – one built in 1920, so you can guess its dimensions. Shuffling clothes from season to season and as kids grow is the bane of my existence. But, I did sort through one child’s clothes, so, yay me!
That’s all I’ve got. Celebrate more small successes over at CatholicMom.com.
Have you had any small successes this week?
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!
Filed under: My Scribbler's Heart Blog
