Shadows: Visible & Invisible
About the Book:
Shadows: Visible & Invisible is a collection of short stories by seven authors and is centered around the All Hallowtide Triduum of All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. These fictional stories are meant to help teens learn more about the history of these important days on the Church calendar through engaging tales.
- “Grace and the Grave Robber” by Leslea Wahl Grace doesn’t know what it means to go “souling,” but she certainly wasn’t expecting it to be like this!
- “Bogey in the Belfry” by Carolyn Astfalk A storm drives William and his friends inside the dark church for shelter. Are animals making noises in the loft or is it something more sinister?
- “A Very Jurassic Halllowtide” by Corinna Turner Trapped in the mountains by a blizzard and a pack of T. rex, Darryl, Joshua and Harry’s All Hallows’ Eve is looking dangerous enough–even before things take an eerie turn.
- “Lucy and the Forbidden Secret” by Antony Kolenc A medieval girl in a nunnery struggles with conflicts when another novice breaks her vows on the day of All Souls, revealing a shocking secret.
- “Helpless” by Theresa Linden Vanessa doesn’t need anyone’s help, and she sets out to prove it by going alone to investigate strange lights in the cemetery.
- “At the End of His Tether” by Marie C. Keiser When you live on a spaceship like Philip does, visiting the cemetery to pray for the dead always comes with the risk of joining them.
- “The Far End of the Cemetery” by T. M. Gaouette It’s another All Hallowtide, and on this All Souls’ Day, a young man finds himself at the cemetery yet again, but he’s not alone. Will tonight be the night, or will the torment continue?
Dedicated to Nicholas of Tolentino, patron of the holy souls in purgatory and the dying. “He spoke of the things of heaven,” wrote his biographer St. Antonine. “Sweetly he preached the divine word, and the words that came from his lips fell like flames of fire. Among his hearers could be seen the tears and heard the sighs of people detesting their sins and repenting of their past lives.”
Spooky Stories for Hallowtide from Catholic Teen Books #HalloweenStories #CatholicTeenBooks Share on X
Advance Reviews:
“With powerful tales ranging from historical fiction to contemporary stories to sci-fi and speculative fiction, the authors gently nudge readers to appreciate the importance and efficacy of praying for souls at all times of year.”
Barb Szyszkiewicz, Senior Editor, CatholicMom.com
“I might never look at Halloween the same way again! These exciting and emotive stories, representing a variety of genres, draw the reader into settings and situations that shed new light on celebrating the triduum of Allhallowtide: Hallowe’en, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day. Expect this anthology for teens to cause reflection on the afterlife and to invigorate prayer for the dearly departed. It will do the same for adults! And now I must find a recipe for those delicious-sounding soul cakes.”
Cynthia T. Toney, Author, The Bird Face series and The Other Side of Freedom
“Spooky and Satisfying! This book is a wonderful way to teach teens about the important impact our prayers have on the Holy Souls in Purgatory. A valuable resource!”
Catholic Mom and Daughter Channel (YouTube)
“Maybe it is because I am past the half century mark, or maybe just finally growing up a bit, or even because if have lost a sibling to addiction, but whatever the reason for the last 5 years the concepts of purgatory, and praying for the dead have been more and more on my mind, on my heart, and part of my daily prayers. Because of that this anthology touched me deeply. Each of the seven stories caused me to reflect, think and pray.”
(Full review on BookReviewsAndMore.ca)
Steven R. McEvoy, BookReviewsAndMore.ca
“Even the Souls in Purgatory will agree that this book is a rare and much needed find. Any book that inspires prayers for the faithfully departed is a winner, and this collection has seven unique stories sure to inspire any teen to practice spiritual acts of mercy.”
CatholicReads.com
About the Authors:
LESLEA WAHL is the author of the award-winning Catholic teen mysteries The Perfect Blindside, eXtreme Blindside, Where You Lead, Into the Spotlight, and Charting the Course. Leslea’s journey to become an author came through a search for value-based fiction for her own children. She now not only writes for teens but also has become a reviewer of Catholic teen fiction to help other families discover faith-based books. Leslea lives in her beautiful home state of Colorado with her husband. The furry, four-legged members of her family often make cameo appearances in her novels. Leslea has always loved mysteries and hopes to encourage teens to grow in their faith through these fun adventures. For more information about her faith-filled Young Adult mysteries, please visit www.LesleaWahl.com.
CAROLYN ASTFALK writes from the sweetest place on earth, Hershey, Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and four children. In addition to her contemporary Catholic romances, including the young adult coming-of-age story Rightfully Ours, she is a CatholicMom.com contributor. She is a past president of the Catholic Writers Guild. When she is not washing dishes, doing laundry, or reading, you can find her blogging about books, faith, and family life at www.CarolynAstfalk.com.
CORINNA TURNER has been writing since she was fourteen and likes strong protagonists with plenty of integrity. Although she spends as much time as possible writing, she cannot keep up with the flow of ideas, for which she offers thanks—and occasional grumbles!—to the Holy Spirit. She is the author of over twenty-five books, including the Carnegie Medal Nominated I Am Margaret series, and her work has been translated into four languages. She was awarded the St. Katherine Drexel award in 2022.
She is a Lay Dominican with an MA in English from Oxford University and lives in the UK. She is a member of a number of organizations, including the Society of Authors, Catholic Teen Books, Catholic Reads, the Angelic Warfare Confraternity, and the Sodality of the Blessed Sacrament. She used to have a Giant African Land Snail, Peter, with a 6½‛ long shell, but now makes do with a cactus and a campervan.
To learn more, visit: www.IAmMargaret.com.
ANTONY BARONE KOLENC is the author of The Harwood Mysteries, the award-winning historical-fiction series for youth published by Loyola Press, as well as other published novels for youth and adults. He notes that the discipline of nuns and clergy in the Middle Ages was much more severe than in modern times, as Lucy and the other novices discover in this short story.
Tony is a long-time member of the Catholic Writers Guild. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps after 21 years of military service. A law professor at Ave Maria School of Law, he has also had his non-fiction works published in numerous journals and magazines. He speaks at legal, writing, and home-education events. He and his wife, Alisa, are blessed with many wonderful children and grandchildren.
To learn more about his writings and activities, visit www.AntonyKolenc.com.
THERESA LINDEN is the author of award-winning Catholic fiction, including the West Brothers contemporary series and the Chasing Liberty dystopian trilogy for teens, the Armor of God series for children, and supernatural thriller Tortured Soul, a purgatory soul story for adults. One of her great joys is to bring elements of faith to life through a story. Several of her books won awards from the Catholic Media Association. Her short stories appear in each of Catholic Teen Books’ Visible & Invisible anthologies. Her articles and interviews can be found on various radio shows and in magazines, including EWTN’s The Good Fight, The National Catholic Register, Catholic Digest, Today’s Catholic Teacher, and Catholic Mom.
A wife, home-schooling mom, and Secular Franciscan, she resides in northeast Ohio with her family. You can learn more about her at www.TheresaLinden.com.
MARIE C. KEISER is the author of Heaven’s Hunter. A former teacher, she now lives in Minnesota with her husband and young children. She is passionate about writing inspiring stories about people who struggle with Faith. When she’s not doing dishes, chasing toddlers, or changing diapers, she occasionally blogs about books, life, or ideas at www.EnjoyingWomanhood.com.
T.M. GAOUETTE is the award-winning author of the Faith & Kung Fu series for young adults. This series won a second place Catholic Media Book Award in 2022 for Best New Religious Book series. The last book in the series, Loving Gabriel, also won second for Best Books for Youth (17-21). Gaouette is also the author of The Destiny of Sunshine Ranch, Shadow Stalker, and For Eden’s Sake. The latter received an endorsement from Evangelist Alveda C. King in addition to winning a first place Catholic Press Association award in 2020 for Books for Young Adults. She also contributed to the last four Catholic Teen Books Visible & Invisible anthologies: Secrets, Gifts, Treasures, and Ashes. Her novels have received the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval.
Born in Africa, raised in London, England, Gaouette now lives on a small farm in New England with her husband, where she homeschools their four children. When the goat, chicken, and horse chores are done, you’ll find her canning home-grown produce, watching k-dramas with her family, trying to learn six languages at the same time, or writing fiction for teens and young adults. A former contributor for Project Inspired, Gaouette’s desire is to instill the love of God into the hearts of her readers. Find out more at www.TMGaouette.com.
Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218328105-shadows
Website: https://www.catholicteenbooks.com/
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