Jaclyn Whitt brings all of the drama you’d expect to a story laced with both humor and hurt. Both the light moments and the heavy ones are filled with life, from Brian and Melanie’s hope and heartache to the children’s innocence and immaturity. Now you can listen to the inspirational romance unfold in the car, at your leisure, or on the go.
With three rambunctious, young children, Melanie Lombardi can’t see beyond the day-to-day struggle to maintain her home and her sanity since her husband’s sudden death. A second chance at romance isn’t on her radar.
Brian Perella is done with dating, resigned to being the fun uncle and never the dad. Until he meets Melanie and her brood of lively kids on the sidelines of a Little League game.
But when Brian uncovers a co-worker’s secret, it re-ignites a temptation that Melanie can’t know about. It’s his secret to keep until an unexpected diagnosis brings everything to the surface, jeopardizing his future with Melanie and her children, who, when threatened by an unknown stalker, may need him now more than ever.
“All In Good Time rocketed to the top of my TBR pile, and it did not disappoint. Carolyn Astfalk’s latest became my new favorite of hers, and it took less than 24 hours for that to happen! The mounting suspense matched the perfectly paced romantic tension. I’m looking forward to another day soon when I can read it again.”
You won’t find “Theology of the Body Fiction” as an Amazon category. It’s a niche of contemporary Catholic fiction (also, unfortunately, not an Amazon category) that I describe as stories viewed through the lens of Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. It doesn’t spout passages from his addresses, but it recognizes the truths contained therein.
The go-to source for such fiction is Full Quiver Publishing. You’ll find several of my books there, some of those listed below, and books by Ellen Gable. (Full Quiver Publishing was founded in 2004 by Ellen and her husband, James Hrkach.)
Set within the expanses of the American frontier, The Woman in the Trees follows Slainie, an inquisitive pioneer girl, whose life is forever transformed when a mysterious seer shows up at her door. Amidst the backdrop of the Civil War, family tragedy, and the nation’s most destructive wildfire, Slainie must navigate her rugged pioneer life as she encounters love and loss, and comes face to face with the story of America’s first approved Marian apparition.
Modern saints are given poetic treatment in Saintly Rhymes for Modern Times, written and illustrated by Meghan Bausch. St. Faustina, St. Josephine Bakhita, and more are the subjects of short, rhyming biographies with complementary illustrations that bring the saint to life.
Audacious Ignatius by Paul Mitchell is a rhyming, vocabulary- building picture book that would serve as an excellent read-aloud for students in the primary grades. How many ways can you rhyme Ignatius? Available from Corde Press.
Looking for some new apps? Who has time to discover new creations, let alone test them out? The Educational App Store, a discovery marketplace for educational apps, takes away some of the guesswork. All featured apps are certified and reviewed by experienced teachers. A 14-day free trial allows you to explore recommended apps.
I write mainly to get the ideas in my head out and onto paper! I always had sort of a cinematic imagination, but I never knew what to do with it until I started writing novels. Once I found that outlet, it’s been hard not to write, though I’m greatly limited by the time I have available for it.
I hope that each book is better written that the one before it, and I hope that each book reaches the readers for whom God intends it. I’d like to have five more published novels in five years’ time.
Excitement greeted the Wanderlight: A Pilgrim’s Adventure promotional pack the second I held it in my hands, from the 17-year-old, curious about a Catholic video game, to the younger kids, eager to give the demo a shot (especially mid-week, when they are ordinarily not allowed to indulge in video games).
They’d already seen the trailer for Loyola Press’s innovative game and were intrigued. Now, with a plushie version of the main character, Pilgrim; stickers; and a poster, they were eager to dive in.
Since earlier this summer, my kids have been enjoying Animal Crossing, a gentle sort of game that they equally enjoy – both the boys and the girls, from the high school senior down to the middle school tween and the lower and upper elementary kids. Waderlight holds a lot of the same appeal.
Book 1 in The Harwood Mysteries from Loyola Press.
About the book:
An attack by bandits in the middle of the night leaves a young boy with no memory of who he is or where he is from. Nursed back to health by the devoted monks in a Benedictine abbey, he takes the name Alexander, or Xan for short. Aided by the kindly Brother Andrew, Xan commits himself to finding out who he really is.
Does he have a family? Are they still alive? And who—or what—is the shadowy figure creeping around the abbey in the dead of night?
Embark on an adventure while reading Shadow in the Dark as young Alexander tries to recover his memory and, with his new friends, uncover the mystery of the shadowy figure in the dark.
Welcome to the August 2020 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!
We’ve been doing a lot of reading this summer, especially since our local libraries have re-opened, at least in part. Let’s face it: there aren’t a whole lot of entertainment options this summer, so in addition to hanging out at the pond/creek, my kids are enjoying reading good books.
While his time on the road has been greatly diminished, my husband did begin listening to Grant by Ron Chernow on his way to and from Scout camp. Intrigued by a History Channel series on Ulysses S. Grant, he was eager to learn more about this former general and president of the United States.
Love and a Little White Lie by Tammy L. Gray is a very well-written inspirational romance novel of healing, hope, and spiritual awakening. I love the direction the author is taking with this story, which reminds me a lot of one of my favorite novels, The Grace Crasher by Mara Faro. I also love this striking cover.
I was moved by this debut novel by Neena Gaynor, The Bird and the Bees, a Christian romance set mainly in Erie, Pennsylvania. The patient, stalwart third baseman Ketch Devine serves as a model of God’s unconditional love. There is a lot to ponder here about what it means to live and to whom or what we anchor our lives.
Ranger Redemption by Lynn Shannon is a well-executed romantic suspense novel with an intertwined small-town cast of characters that add layers of complicity and multiple suspects to the lineup. The story is well-paced with a sweet second-chance romance at its center.
I enjoyed the second installment in Dani Pettrey’s Coastal Guardian series, The Crushing Depths. It’s uniquely set on an oil rig off of the Virginia coast. There’s a big cast of characters and multiple crimes. If you’re looking for a fast-paced crime novel with a sweet romance, this one will fit the bill.
The Dunes by A.R.K. Watson is a short novella with a Twilight Zone vibe. This short fiction features a married couple and is set on the beach. Saying much more may ruin if for you, so you’ll have to check it out for yourself. At 99 cents, why not?
The second book in The Desperate Forest series by Cece Louise is at least as fun as the first. The Jabberwocky Princess is a historical YA novel with a contemporary feel and a little light magic (think dragons!). This is a fantastic series of clean romances for teens that have a bit of a fairy tale quality to them. More on that in the interview I did with the author last month.
I enjoyed reading Antony Kolenc’s Shadow in the Dark, new from Loyola Press. This historical novel for tweens and teens is set in medieval Europe and centers around a spooky mystery: Who or what is the shadow roaming the abbey grounds at night? The angel of death or a wayward monk? Such begins the series featuring young orphan Xan (short for Alexander) and his friend Lucy.
My oldest son is procrastinating on his school summer reading project by reading more from the Star Wars universe. He picked up Star Wars Myths & Fables by George Mann on our first trip to a bookstore this year! This attractive hardcover features various Aesop’s fable-like stories including various Star Wars characters in different times and places. He appreciated the artwork at the beginning of each chapter too.
We have a slew of decades-old Timothy Zahn Star Wars paperbacks in the attic, but my son was drawn to a more recent release by the same author at the library. Thrawn is short for Grand Admiral Thrawn, an officer in the Imperial Navy. The story follows his rise through the ranks in the early days of the Empire when many alien races are oppressed. This is the first book in a trilogy he plans to read.
My seventh-grade daughter chose The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan as her reward for completing the reading portion of the library’s summer reading program. This series came recommended by her older brother, and she has been tearing through it greedily as fast as she can get the remaining books from the library. In a world where Greek gods and demi-gods roam the earth, Percy Jackson discovers he’s the son of Poseidon, which puts his life in danger. When someone steals Zeus’s lightning bolt, Percy must find it.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare came recommended by a librarian based on my daughter’s interest in colonial America. A young girl, Kit, flees her home in Barbados and arrives in Connecticut. Kit befriends a Quaker woman the local Puritans consider a witch.
Knowing how much my daughter loved Anne of Green Gables, I picked up a copy of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin from the library, and she loved it, informing me that this book actually was written before Anne and influenced L. M. Montgomery and various other authors. Imaginative Rebecca comes to live with aunts in Riverboro, where she comes of age.
George Washington’s Socks by Elvira Woodruff was required summer reading that my daughter liked (but didn’t love). Several kids time travel to Revolutionary War times where they witness General Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River and try to get home. My daughter was a little frustrated by the magical rowboat plot device.
I ordered some (wonderful!) Usborne books and products for my kids this summer and grabbed Girls with a Voice and Girls with Courage by Ann Turnbull and Adele Geras. In Girls with a Voice, set in the 18th century, a girl dreams of becoming an opera singer. She’s sent to boarding school when her father loses a large amount of money on a failed investment, jeopardizing her musical education. In Girls with Courage, set in the 19th century, a girl is sent to her uncles’ home when her mother is having another baby. She must ride with her eye-patch-wearing uncle to discover what’s happened to her mother. (To buy, check in with an Usborne Books & More consultant.)
My third grader picked out a huge book from the library that she is steadily reading aloud to the rest of us (whether we’re listening or not). The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter includes all of the classic tales of Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Squirrel Nutkin, and more with the original illustrations.
We brought home a slew of Berenstain Bears books from the library too. All four of my kids have loved the Berenstain Bears, and we read these books again and again and again. As a parent, I’ve always appreciated the honest but gentle and humorous way they tackle common childhood problems. One of the favorites this go-round has been The Berenstain Bears and the Double Dare by Stan and Jan Berenstain.
I’ve begun reading The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame aloud to the kids. It’s been a while since I read this one, and the chapters are pretty long for a children’s book. I enjoy introducing the kids to this world, which they connect with a particular area of the children’s garden at the nearby Hershey Gardens.
My youngest son has been readingPotterwookiee: The Creature in My Closet by Obert Skye. In it, the main character puts both books and a chemistry set in the closet and some amazing creatures result. This one was handed down from his older brother. Illustrations à la Diary of Wimpy Kid make it a fun read.
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Get Ornamental Graces on Kindle for half off – only $1.99! Contemporary Christian Christmas romance. Sale runs July 23-25, 2020.
Get Catholic Teen Books’ Christmas anthology Gifts: Visible & Invisible for just 99 cents on ebook and $9.99 for Amazon paperback. Buy to read now or save for Christmas as a gift for yourself or someone you care about. Eight short stories by eight different authors.
