Ellen Gable's Blog, page 65
January 20, 2015
Feast of St. Agnes
Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr. I knew little of this saint until I read about her during research for my novel, A Subtle Grace. I have dedicated my book to her.
It’s no surprise that St. Agnes’ feast day is so close to the U.S. March for Life. Agnes’ name in Greek means “chaste, pure or sacred,” and in Latin, it means “lamb.” She is the patron saint of young girls, chastity, engaged couples, rape victims (and others). In past centuries, young girls would recite the prayer/poem to St. Agnes on the Eve of the feast day (today) in the hopes that they would dream of their future husband.
The following is a link to an excerpt of A Subtle Grace which includes the prayer/poem to St. Agnes:
St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us!
January 17, 2015
Sunday Snippets – January 17
Photo copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach
Please join me and other Catholic bloggers at RAnn’s Place where we share posts from the previous week.It was a slow week for blogging, although I did manage two posts about Catholic fiction.
A Subtle Grace Reviews - special thanks to the four bloggers who agreed to read and review my book!
Fatal Rhythm Book Review
Check out the other bloggers’ posts at RAnn’s Place!
Fatal Rhythm – R. B. O’Gorman
Check out this medical thriller by fellow Catholic Writers Guild member, R. B. O’Gorman!
From the synopsis: In the pre-dawn hours of the graveyard shift, the ICU at the Houston Heart Institute is quiet, and quietly patients are dying. Surgery resident Joe Morales dreams of becoming a rich heart doctor. First, he must survive his assignment to an ICU rife with land mines–unexplained patient deaths, rival faculty, fellow resident saboteurs, a cost-slashing administrator, a ruthless insurance executive, a seductive head nurse, a jealous wife, a critically ill son, an overprotective mother, and an orderly distraught over his daughter’s death. To salvage the career he thought he wanted, Joe must determine the cause of the suspicious deaths. In the process, he’s forced to re-examine the ethnic and religious heritage that he had rejected.
I thoroughly enjoyed Fatal Rhythm, the new medical thriller by R. B. O���Gorman. Believable characters, an exciting plot and a mystery that had me turning the pages quickly toward the end. Very believable scenario. O���Gorman���s medical background made this an authentic, believable story. His writing style is polished, his characters well-developed and the plot kept me guessing until the last few pages. Highly recommend.
Fatal Rhythm is available in paperback or on Kindle.
January 16, 2015
Recent Reviews of A Subtle Grace
Special thanks to the following bloggers who took the time to read my newest book and post a review! Excerpts are below, but I encourage you to go to each reviewer’s blog and read the entire reviews.
Elizabeth at Super Swell Times posted this review:
“Ms. Gable has a knack for setting the scene. You can tell that she has meticulously researched the time period in which the book is set. Everything from the way priests interacted with parishioners to the way old guns operate, A Subtle Grace���s setting in the later 1890s is vibrant and interesting. One of my favorite aspects of A Subtle Grace is the fact that Ms. Gable took the time to craft story lines for all her characters ��� not just the ones central to the romance. Beyond Kathleen and Luke, we get the opportunity to check in with Caroline and David as well as learn more about Will, John and various other folks.”
Amelia at One Catholic Mama, posted this review.
“A Subtle Grace starts out with a riveting birthing scene. I always love a good birthing scene in books and this one does not disappoint. So that right there grabbed my attention and drew me into the story….I found this book to be rather engaging and hard to put down. The characters are charming (if just a little too perfect at times….well except for the wicked one, who is just a bit too wicked) and rather likeable. I found myself wishing that I could actually meet these people, or at least be more like them.”
Tiffany at Life of a Catholic Librarian posted this review:
“I really, really enjoyed this book. I’ve been thinking about it since I finished, which is always quite telling. To be clear, I review a lot of Catholic Young Adult fiction on this blog, and this book is NOT part of that genre. This is adult fiction, as several plot twists involve things not suitable for a young audience. Aforementioned plot twists are quite compelling, however, and I was reading along at a rapid clip, anxious to see what would happen and how the (very dastardly!) villain would be vanquished. No spoilers here though! You’ll have to go read to find out what I’m alluding to.”
Erika Marie at Simple Mama posted this review in her review:
“I was so impressed with how Gable wove all the Catholic traditions and historical culture into the story. She presents the story with a delicate, but enthralling, style. I felt quite comfortable lending it to our high-school-aged babysitter and plan on keeping it around for our daughter to enjoy in a few years. My only complaint about the book was that it was so engrossing that I couldn���t put it down! I���d stay up way too late just to see how the plot would unravel. It was wonderful, actually! It was like gooey fudgy warm brownies for my book-loving-heart.”
Again, THANK YOU to these Catholic bloggers for reading my book and writing a review. I really do appreciate it!
If you are a Catholic blogger and would like a print or Kindle copy of A Subtle Grace, email me: fullquiverpublishing(at)gmail.com and I will send you a review copy!
January 10, 2015
Sunday Snippets – January 10
Photo copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach
Please join me and other Catholic bloggers at RAnn’s Place for Sunday Snippets where we share posts from the previous week.I’ve been so busy these past few months that I haven’t been connecting with either 7QT or Sunday Snippets. I’m hoping to get back into the swing of things this month. I’ve missed connecting with these wonderful Catholic bloggers!
Here are my posts for the week:
Healthy Habits for the New Year: NFP
January 8, 2015
Healthy Habits for the New Year Should Include Natural Family Planning
The beginning of a new year often prompts the making of resolutions regarding lifestyle. Some will decide to exercise more or to eat better, quit smoking, eat less sugar etc.
Nowadays healthier lifestyle choices are encouraged: a diet rich in whole foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, low in saturated fat. Unhealthy habits are discouraged: poor diet, inactivity, smoking, excessive drinking.
An important part of a healthy lifestyle also includes making good choices regarding birth regulation.
Moral considerations aside, Natural Family Planning, or NFP, is very healthy. It is a highly effective method of birth regulation, and it also poses no physical side effects. In my experience, NFP fosters a greater understanding and appreciation of the couple’s natural combined gift of fertility. There are no pills or chemicals to harm a woman���s delicate system. There are no devices or operations for either man or woman.
Other methods, however, are not so health-inducing.
Each prescription for chemical contraception (Pill, patch, vaginal ring, injectables) includes an extensive insert outlining the many physical side effects: an increased risk of weight gain, mood swings, headaches, breast cancer, blood clots, strokes. Vasectomy comes with an increased risk of prostate cancer and dementia. Women who undergo a tubal ligation have a greater risk of chronic pain and hysterectomy.
For those who are especially concerned with the health of the environment, chemical contraception is a likely culprit in contributing to the feminization of male fish. Although chemical contraception isn’t the only cause, the following link includes more detail on chemical contraception’s effect on fish:
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/86/8608cover.html
A new year can be an opportune time to adopt healthier lifestyle choices. It’s also a great time to learn NFP.
My husband, James, and I are certified NFP teachers and we even teach NFP online. For more information on NFP, check out a previous column entitled, “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About NFP, But Were Afraid to Ask”.
Text Copyright 2015 Ellen Gable Hrkach
January 6, 2015
Georgios – Virtual Book Tour
Today I’m hosting A.K. Frailey whose novel, Georgios: Hidden Heritage, is now available both in print and on Kindle! I enjoyed this book very much and found it interesting, factual and well-researched. It is an inspiring tale for young and old!
Georgios was destined for greatness���at least that is what his grandparents told him, his father assured him, and his mother had left embedded in his heart. Living on the island of Patmos in the year 100 A.D. surrounded by the Aegean Sea, he knew the world through Greek eyes, but he also knew there was more to life than a home built on rock. At the age of thirteen, Georgios takes an unexpected voyage, almost murders his first real friend, gets waylaid by Celtic traders, and inadvertently discovers the truth about his father. What he learns horrifies him, forcing him into a decision and an adulthood, he is not ready for. In facing his father honestly, Georgios finds the strength to accept his grandfather���s vision and is thrust into the most dangerous adventure of all.
Amazon Georgios I paperback link: http://amzn.to/1ux0kqi
Amazon Georgios I e-book link: http://amzn.to/1wD0cXt
A.K. Frailey website: http://www.akfrailey.com/
A.K. Frailey Blog: http://www.akfrailey.com/blog/
A.K. Frailey Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/1zuauLC
Family friendly, historical fiction.
���In knowing him so you know Me,
In serving him so you serve Me,
In loving him so you love Me,
For I am in every heartbeat, every breath,
every hope, and every death.
In grief you are born,
But in forgiveness you overcome,
Your life begins,
With God���s love for His Son.”
���A wonderful story of adventure and courage…��� Lu Cortese, President of St. Joseph Radio ��� I.H.S. Productions
���My children love this author!��� ��� Anne Houseal, Retired Army Colonel, Alaskan, wife and mother of four
“Family, rebellion, fierce battles and adventure…something for all readers.” Ann Stock, Our Sorrowful Mother���s Ministry
January 4, 2015
Feast of the Epiphany
On Epiphany Sunday, our family has continued a tradition of reciting a blessing and marking the lintel of every doorway in our home (usually with chalk) indicating the year and the initials of the wise men (Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar): 20 C M B 15. (Photo to the right is from a few years ago!) CMB also stands for Christus Mansionem Benedicat, Latin for ���May Christ Bless this House.���
For more information on this beautiful tradition, the following website has some great readings and more information on this beautiful blessing:
http://www.liturgy.co.nz/blog/epiphany-chalk-house-blessing-2/4942
December 27, 2014
WORKING MOTHER AVAILABLE TOMORROW!
Working Mother will be available tomorrow on Kindle!!
Originally posted on Will Write for Tomato Pie:
Please join me in celebrating Holy Family Sunday with the release of my 99 cent ebook, ���Working Mother.���
Holy Family of Nazareth, pray for us!��
Many, many thanks to Ellen & James and all the team over at Full Quiver Publishing for all their hard work that went into this project.
December 25, 2014
A Blessed and Joy-Filled Christmas!
photo credit: Josh Hrkach 2011 (copyright)
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11
“Fear not little flock, fear not. Come with me to Bethlehem. Let us celebrate a joyous Christmas. Let us be merry and happy no matter what because Christ is born.” Catherine Doherty
Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
