An Open Book

An Open Book CatholicMom

Welcome to the September 2018 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!

The Man Who Knew Too MuchMy husband and I have been trying to get a BINGO (or two or three) to complete our local library’s summer reading program. We are both ending with a mystery. He chose to listen to The Man Who Knew Too Much by G.K. Chesterton. (I’ll be reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle). He’s been listening to the series of short detective stories in the car. While he’s enjoying them, the narrator’s British accent is requiring more concentration than he’s able to muster while driving. He might do better with an American narrator or a book.

Castles in the CloudsI am thoroughly enjoying the second book in the Flowers of Eden series by Myra Johnson. Castles in the Clouds is set in drought-ridden Arkansas during the Great Depression. A sweet romance blooms between a reticent young woman studying to be a teacher and a nearly blind missionary who has returned to the United States from Kenya.

Don't Forget to Say Thank YouI thoroughly enjoyed this simple yet instructive new book by Lindsay Schlegel: Don’t Forget to Say Thank You: And Other Parenting Lessons That Brought Me Closer to God. With lessons built around the phrases we parents often repeat to our children, this personal, reflective book is a great way for moms to re-focus on their vocation and their faith life as we embark on a new season. (Read along with the Don’t Forget to Say Thank You Book Club at Catholicmom.com!)

Frankenstein: Prodigal SonI thought I was doing my son a favor by picking up a graphic novel for him to read in order to complete his library summer challenge. But I’m the one that ended up reading it! I’d heard good things about Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein books, so I thought we’d give the comic book treatment a try. In the Introduction to Frankenstein: Prodigal Son, Koontz writes, “We live in a hubristic age, when politicians imagine themselves to be messiahs and when many in the sciences frankly discuss their dreams of creating a ‘post-human’ civilization of genetically engineered supermen, ignorant of the fact that like minds have often come before them and have left no legacy but death, destruction, and despair.” (Take note: This likely marks the first and last time you’ll see a bare-chested man cover in An Open Book.)

The Westing GameThe kids each got to choose a book to keep upon completing the summer reading program, and my teenager grabbed Newbery Medal winner The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin. I’m only familiar with this book because I know A. J. Cattapan’s 7 Riddles to Nowhere operates on a similar premise. In both books, a wealthy man has chosen a virtual stranger to inherit his fortune – provided he can solve a challenge.

Abraham LincolnHaving discovered the inter-library loan program, my fifth grader has jumped back into the Childhood of Famous Americans series. She most recently read Abraham Lincoln: The Great Emancipator by Augusta Stevenson. Although she was disappointed that the book didn’t extend to his assassination, she enjoyed the book. (Most of the biographies extend into the subject’s adulthood.) So far, she’s only set aside one book in the entire series: a biography of Jim Henson, and that was because of the writing.

Grandmama's PrideI’ve been reading Grandmama’s Pride by Becky Birtha and Colin Bootman to my little children. (It will be featured in this month’s Sabbath Rest Book Talk.) This picture book that does what fiction does best: puts you into the shoes of someone different. A different time. A different place. A different race. The book follows Sarah Marie’s 1956 summer trip from Pennsylvania to the South to visit her grandmother. While there, she experiences racial segregation for the first time (although her grandmother does a great job of operating as if the  discrimination is irrelevant.)

Monster MunchiesMy five-year-old picked out a simple, brightly illustrated easy reader for his free book from the library.  Monster Munchies by Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans is the kind of book that holds only passing interest for me but which the little kids love. It’s ideal for young learners in its simplicity, emphasizing both rhyming words and counting, all couched in a context that leaves the kids giggling at its silliness.

What are you reading? Share it at An Open Book and find new book recommendations too! #openbook Share on X

[inlinkz_linkup id=795894 mode=1]


Want more details on An Open Book? You can also sign up for An Open Book reminder email, which goes out one week before the link-up. No blog? That’s okay. Just tell us what you’re reading in the comment box.


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 FOR MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS!


Book Clubs: How to Start One, Where to Find Books

As the temperatures cool and the days shorten, the prospect of cozying up with a good book is more and more appealing. (That is, if you need an excuse to enjoy a good book.)

The back-to-school season is marked by new routines and new ventures, and if you’re looking to read more books or make new friends, a book club may be just what you’re looking for.

Find a Group

You may be able to find an active group at your local library, church, or by asking friends. If you have no luck with in-person groups, search for some online options on Goodreads or Facebook. Continue reading

Top Catholic Back-to-School Reads for Boys, Girls, & Parents

Here comes the school year and with it, required reading assignments. Get back into the groove by supplementing those dry textbooks with some fiction. Need a reminder of why fiction is so good for you? Find it here.

The selections below start at middle grade (Rosa, Sola) and up. The last two selections are intended for mom and dad, because you need good books too. And an escape. Maybe more than the kids!

And for more recommendations for middle grades and teens, visit Catholic Teen Books.

Back-to-School Reads Continue reading

Author Interview with Georgiana Daniels

Shadows of HopeIn your most recent novel, Shadows of Hope, the reader knows from the first pages the heartbreaking conflict bound to be revealed: Marissa counsels Kaitlyn throughout her unplanned pregnancy and unbeknownst to both women, Marissa’s husband Colin is the father. You gave not only Marissa and Kaitlyn a voice, but Colin, too. Was it challenging to write from his point of view?

First, thank you so much for inviting me to your corner of cyberspace, Carolyn! 

As for Colin, writing from his point of view wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I tried to dig in and really think like someone who’s created a horrible situation but now wants to do the right thing, only he has no idea what that is.

And that’s the thing, when you’re not walking with God and you’re in an impossible situation, life can be a total mess! I really wanted to bring that complexity to his character—a man who truly doesn’t see how his sin is impacting those around him since he’s trying to do the right thing now.

Who was it that said everyone is a hero in their own story? That’s what I tried to keep in mind as I wrote Colin. Continue reading

Tips for Marketing Your Audiobook

So, you’ve had your books made into audiobooks using ACX. (You haven’t? Then you should read Part I:Tips for Turning Your Novel into an Audiobook Using ACX and learn why and how.) Now what? How do you market your audiobooks(s)?

audiobook sik-life pixabay

Image by sik-life (pixabay)

Update Your Links

Commonsense, right? But sometimes we forget to do the obvious. Wherever you list your books, particularly your website, make sure your audiobook cover(s) and links (to Audible, Amazon, and iTunes) are included.

Dedicate an entire page of your website to your audiobooks with summaries, sales links, and samples. (see below)
Continue reading

An Open Book

An Open Book CatholicMom

Welcome to the August 2018 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!

MissionMission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe by Robert Matzen has been playing inside my husband’s car. The book gives insight into the Army Air Corps during WWII and what the bomber groups experienced. More than Jimmy Stewart,  the actor, Mission is concerned with Jimmy Stewart, the man. Stewart’s family had military roots in the  American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War, and he saw such service as his calling (more so than entertaining).

Cinder AlliaI finally bumped Cinder Allia by Karen Ullo to the top of my reading list. As the title suggests, the book is a take on the classic Cinderella fairy tale. Only a few elements form the original are retained here, including a slipper lost at a royal ball. The writing is lovely, filled with imagery. The story, which involves a sham prince, a priest/spy, and a mysterious affliction wrought by the tip of the enemy’s arrow, is more intricate than you might expect, involving espionage, war, and shifting loyalties.

Broken BrainI’m eager to read Broken Brain, Fortified Faith: Lessons of Hope Through a Child’s Mental Illness by Virginia Pillars, with whom I am presenting at the Catholic Writers Conference Live this week.  It is a memoir, “the story of one family’s journey through schizophrenia, navigating the uncharted waters of mental illness to find help for their daughter, Amber, and support for their family. ” It has five out of five stars on Amazon with 47 reviews! I’m looking forward to reading this next.

TimelineSchool starts in a few weeks, so my son has begun his summer reading project. From a large selection of titles set in medieval times, he selected Timeline by Michael Crichton. (Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott ran a close second.) In a nutshell, young scientists travel in time to medieval France on a daring rescue mission. I’m going to read this time-travelling, swashbuckling thriller when he’s done!

King GeorgeMy soon-to-be fifth grader completed the local library’s summer reading program and was excited to find a book about her favorite thing these days: the American Revolution. In order to prolong her enjoyment, she’s limited herself to a chapter a day of King George: What was his problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn’t Tell You About the American Revolution by Steve Sheinkin and Tim Robinson.  It includes-lesser known but very interesting details about the Revolutionary War and includes maps and battle plans.

Staircase for the SistersStaircase for the Sisters: A Story of Prayer and Saint Joseph by Pamela Love and John Joseph is an illustrated retelling of the story of the mysterious completion of the staircase in the chapel of the Sisters of Loretto in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1878. It is a quick read about an amazing  (miraculous?) story suitable for about third grade and up. My daughter loved it!

HandelHandel, Who Knew What He Liked by M.T. Anderson and Kevin Hawkes is another book our family picked up in relation to the library’s music-themed summer reading program. This picture book follows Handel from childhood to the composition of his famous “Messiah” and beyond. My 10-year-old loved the book, but despite the engaging illustrations, the length left my 5- and 6-year-olds drifting off to other activities.

7 Ate 9I’ve added 7 Ate 9 by Tara Lazar and Ross MacDonald to my short list of favorite children’s books. The word (and number) play is fabulous! My teenager grabbed this staff pick from the library shelf for his siblings, and we loved it! In a word, 7 Ate 9 is FUN.

What are you reading? Share it at An Open Book and find new book recommendations too! #openbook Share on X

[inlinkz_linkup id=791233 mode=1]


Want more details on An Open Book? You can also sign up for An Open Book reminder email, which goes out one week before the link-up. No blog? That’s okay. Just tell us what you’re reading in the comment box.


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!


Guest Post: Online Writers Conference to Coach Catholic Writers to Succeed

Online–September 14-16, 2018, the Catholic Writers Guild will host, via webinar, an online writers conference focused on helping Catholic writers succeed in their craft. The Catholic Writers Conference Online provides Catholic writers with a prime opportunity to meet and share their faith with editors, publishers, and fellow writers from across the globe. Speakers will discuss writing as a calling, literature as evangelization, and even how genre fiction like horror and science fiction can still reflect Catholic values.

Presenters include Joseph Pearce (Further Up & Further In), Michelle Buckman (Turning in Circles), Karen Ullo (Jennifer the Damned) and many others. Recordings and reference materials from all presentations will be available free to all conference attendees. Continue reading