In June, my Relevant Fiction Reviews comprised several reviews on the theme of love, war, and sacrifice. This month, the novels all examine what in Saving Amelie is referred to as “costly grace” (in reference to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s theology). This is the sacrificial love that, in the books below, requires giving up an ultimately destructive relationship, sacrificing romantic love for a higher calling, and risking freedom and maybe life to preserve the lives of others. Continue reading
Comparisons between creativity and procreativity are legion. Here are my Top 10:
When I began writing fiction, I wrote. Words came into my head, and I typed them on the screen. Even as I began to learn how little I knew about novel-writing, my concerns were limited to grammar and craft. Big-picture issues such as genre or marketing weren’t on my radar.
Eventually, the time comes when most writers need to categorize their book, if not their writing style. After all, it’s hard to target your niche (and consequently sell books) if no one, including you, knows what it is you write.
Short of a schedule conflict, my husband attends an annual Catholic men’s retreat at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Families are welcome to join the retreatants for Mass on Sunday morning at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. Situated on a wooden hillside above the university and seminary campus, the Lourdes Grotto includes paved paths lined by depictions of the mysteries of the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, and numerous statues. With its wildflowers, natural spring, towering trees, and native Mountain laurel, it’s one of my favorite places.
This towering statue of Our Lady, visible from Route 15 once you cross the border from Pennsylvania into Maryland, is a sight to behold. She towers over the treetops with outstretched arms, beckoning to passersby below.
Stay With Me will be available in only two months (Kindle pre-orders in one)! In May, I wrote about the music that inspired the book, and in April, I blogged about the settings. In June, I shared several of the recipes for the delicious treats mentioned in the book. The second round of recipes posted in July, and this is the final recipe installment!
This seasonal treat serves as dessert for the first dinner Chris prepares for Rebecca. It is perfect for this time of year in Pennsylvania. Here’s a tip: Ripe peaches peel easily after being dipped in boiling water for 10-20 seconds.
I have not yet mastered the art of making pie crust from scratch. I admit I find it simpler to pick up a refrigerated, store-bought crust. That’s what I used for this recipe.
Homemade Peach Pie a la mode
Despite the fact that I love the outdoors, no one would mistake me for a tree hugger. While I’ve become more and more “crunchy” over the years, I’ve never embraced the moniker “environmentalist,” for a variety of reasons. I was, however, such an ant-litter Nazi, that when a Pennsylvania hotline existed to report littering, I made several calls detailing make, model, and license number of cars from which trash was thrown. But, I digress. In honor of the fact I’m finally reading Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite trees.
Trees
by Joyce Kilmer
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Last month, I offered to fast for you intentions. I received eleven requests and added some of my own intentions. While I offered all of my fasting and sacrifices for all of the intentions, each day I kept one particular intention in the forefront of my mind, so that when I was tempted or inclined to indulge myself in some way, a specific person and a real and concrete need came to mind.
Why small success? Because that’s the only kind I know! Even the big ones come in small steps. Here’s my paltry offering for the week.
