This time of year, my kids and I love to watch hundreds upon hundreds of lightning bugs rising out of the soy bean fields behind our neighborhood at dusk. It’s nothing short of spectacular.
Lightning bugs make a couple of appearances in my novel All in Good Time – including the cover! So, what better time to put the Kindle ebook on sale?
Only $1.99 on Kindle right now. Sale runs through July 4, 2023.
The Catholic Writers Guild’s Retreat for Catholic Writers has returned and is scheduled for October 9-13, 2023, at St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt, Michigan.
Continue reading
Southern fiction is a genre that has clear parameters in my mind that don’t quite match the descriptions I’ve been able to find. One obvious definition is books that are set in the southern United States. I’ve read plenty of those, but only a handful, to my mind, are Southern fiction.
Southern fiction, by my definition, is characterized by a particular mood. It includes quirky characters, languid summer days, and secrets. Usually family secrets. It may lean a bit toward the macabre or Southern Gothic.
Whatever you want to call it, these are some novels that fit my definition.
Continue readingFor decades now, our family’s summers have been marked by visits to the local libraries. It used to be Books & Babies, Book Buddies, and Chewsy Readers programs with added visits for summer performances and activities.
My children have grown and the pandemic ended many of our beloved summer reading activities, but these months still mean reading and racking up the books read to increase chances of more summer rewards. I’ll never tire of the return trips from the library when the usually raucous ride is silent as everyone but the driver delves into their new book.
Continue reading
On Thursday, July 20, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. EDT, I’ll be facilitating a Catholics Read book club meeting. We’ll be chatting about Rhonda Ortiz’s debut novel, first in the Molly Chase series, In Pieces (Chrism Press).
This historical novel set in colonial Boston, while a romance, has wide appeal. There are rogues, spies, gossipy hens, and crusty sailors. More than that, there’s a lot to contemplate on duty, marriage, family, faith, dignity, conscience, and the pursuit of truth. Those are the kinds of things I hope we’ll talk about. And whatever YOU want to discuss!
Continue reading
Looking for a simple summer reading program for yourself or your teen? Catholic Teen Books has you covered. Read a book in each of three broad genre categories to get a bingo, then enter to win! (See the bingo card below.)
Choose from among the nearly 100 books listed at CatholicTeenBooks.com. Categories can be found under the menu tab “Books,” so you can easily see which categories a title might fulfill.
When you’ve got a bingo, enter online. At then end of summer, one winner will be chosen by random to win $50 in books! See all the details and find the entry form at CatholicTeenBooks.com.
Continue reading
May’s a little wild, isn’t it? Even without spring sports, recitals, sacraments, or graduations, May flew by in a blur of concerts, tests, and general busyness. That meant a little less reading for some of us. Plus, my daughters have been reading more books in series I’ve already shared here multiple times. My college student, who completed his semester in early May, made up for them though.
I was happily surprised to receive book mail with Pauline Books & Media’s reprint of Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade. I’d heard of this spiritual classic, and my husband commented that it had been recommended to us by a friend. Turns out we have an ugly copy of it already. This edition from Pauline Books & Media is anything but ugly. With a durable leather-like cover, pretty gold ribbon, and thin pages, this book is both attractive and easily portable. Its chapters are super short, perfect for reading one or two each day and allowing me to ruminate. My husband was aghast that I’ve highlighted passages, but there are so many salient points I want to remember. Its focus is on attaining holiness through total submission to the will of God in every moment. It’s simple and yet so substantive. I’m so grateful to have discovered this treasure.
Continue readingMy annual summer reading post. Am I setting myself up for failure? I have more obligations than I’ve had in summers past, and reading time is more limited. Let’s look at my track record.
Well, let’s hope I can return to my 2020-21 greatness.
Blurb: In 1760, Deborah Samson is born to Puritan parents in Plympton, Massachusetts. When her father abandons the family and her mother is unable to support them, Deborah is bound out as an indentured servant. From that moment on, she yearns for a life of liberation and adventure.
Twenty years later, as the American colonies begin to buckle in their battle for independence, Deborah, impassioned by the cause, disguises herself as a soldier and enlists in the Continental army. Her impressive height and lanky build make her transformation a convincing one, and it isn’t long before she finds herself confronting the horrors of war head-on.
But as Deborah fights for her country’s freedom, she must contend with the secret of who she is—and, ultimately, a surprising love she can’t deny.
Why I want to read it: It’s been a long time since I read an Amy Harmon book, and her popularity seems to have exploded since then. I trust her with this story, and I’ve seen great reviews from readers whose opinions I respect. I’m ready to be swept away by this historical novel.
Continue reading