Category: Book Tour

On Barb’s Bookshelf: Roland West, Loner by Theresa Linden

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Barb's Book shelf blog title

Roland West is a ninth-grader who lives in a castle deep in the woods. Before this year, he’d never attended a brick-and-mortar school. Before this year, he was only bullied by his twin older brothers, one of whom is pretty much a psychopath. His dad is an archaeologist who travels frequently. His mom died when he was a young child. Roland is shy, wary of making friends, and wants to avoid gossip, so he finds himself bullied at school as well as at home.

Peter Brandt lives on the other side of the forest from Roland. His parents own a bed & breakfast, his younger brother has autism and is always getting into his stuff, and he’s just inherited an antique box (without the key) from his grandfather. When Peter stumbles upon the dungeon in Roland’s basement where Roland was locked up by his brothers, the two stumble into a mystery with a Communion-of-Saints twist that’s complicated by a creepy substitute teacher.

9780996816847.MAINSo begins Roland West, Loner, a young-adult novel by Theresa Linden. I’m not ashamed to admit that I stayed up way too late one night reading this–yes, it’s for teens, but grownups will enjoy it too.

The Catholic connections in the novel are deeply woven into the plot, but never forced. There’s a powerful scene involving the sacrament of Reconcilation as well as a fascinating subplot involving St. Conrad of Parzham. Readers will learn about, and relate to, this German Franciscan saint who was himself the victim of bullies for most of his life.

Roland West, Loner is a suspenseful read that’s appropriate for middle- and high-school students. I bought a copy for the Catholic school library and one for my own middle-schooler.

About author Theresa Linden: An avid reader and writer since grade school, Theresa Linden grew up in a military family. Moving every few years left her with the impression that life is an adventure. Her Catholic faith inspires the belief that there is no greater adventure than the reality we can’t see, the spiritual side of life. She hopes that the richness, depth, and mystery of the Catholic faith arouse her readers’ imaginations to the invisible realities and the power of faith and grace. A member of the Catholic Writers’ Guild, Theresa lives in northeast Ohio with her husband, three boys, and one dog. Her other published books include Chasing Liberty and Testing Liberty, books one and two in a dystopian trilogy. Follow her on Twitter @LindenTheresa and check out her website, Theresa Linden Fiction!

When you purchase this book through any of the affiliate links in this post, you support Franciscanmom.com at no extra cost to you!

On Barb’s Bookshelf: Refuge of the Heart Review and Giveaway!

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Barb's Book shelf blog title

Crises involving refugees are in the news right now, but once a situation moves off the front page, it becomes easy to forget that refugees are real people with real needs who have gone through really awful situations–and their problems are not solved overnight.

Herne
Love the cover art for this book!

Refuge of the Heart, a new novel by Ruth Logan Herne, introduces the reader to Lena, a young woman who fled war-torn Chechnya with her 5-year-old sister Anna. Lena, who was a medical student on her way to a promising career before the war tore her family and her life apart, wants nothing more than to complete her nursing degree and find a job that pays well enough for her to move to a safer neighborhood with a good school for Anna. As the novel begins, D.A. Mitch Sanderson happens upon Lena and Anna as they discover a flat tire on their car on a snowy night. One broken date later, Mitch arranges for tire repairs for Lena’s car, and slowly goes on to win the independent Lena’s heart.

Lena’s past proves to be a complication for their relationship, as she fears legal reprisal for some of the things she did in order to survive the living hell of war in Chechnya. Mitch’s high-society family doesn’t help matters either.

This novel is a tribute to resiliency of spirit and a life lived gratefully. Lena has very little, but she constantly looks for ways to give back.

FM_Color_LogoTo help me introduce this book to more readers, publisher Franciscan Media is offering a copy of Refuge of the Heart to one lucky reader! To put your name in the hat for a FREE copy of this novel, simply answer this question in the comment box:

Thanksgiving dinner (two of them, actually–one at church and one at Mitch’s family home) is the first holiday celebration Mitch and Lena enjoy together. Name the one dish that must be on your family table for Thanksgiving.

This contest ends Tuesday, October 20 at noon Eastern. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. USA only, please!

Want more chances to win? Visit the other blogs on the book tour and enter your name in their giveaways!

About Author Ruth Logan Herne:

herneBorn into poverty, Ruth Logan Herne is the mother of six and grandmother to thirteen. She and her husband, Dave, live on a small farm in upstate New York. She works full time but carves a few hours each day to write the kind of stories she likes to read, filled with poignancy, warmth and delightful characters. She is the 2011 award winner from the American Christian Fiction Writers.

On Barb’s Bookshelf: Stay With Me

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Barb's Book shelf blog title

My friend, Catholic author Carolyn Astfalk, is celebrating the October 1 release of her novel, Stay with Me, published by Full Quiver Publishing. Billed as an “edgy Theology of the Body romance,” this book is a nice, thick read at over 300 pages–and I’d have been happy for more!

Stay with Me coverCarolyn Astfalk’s novel combines engaging characters with a plausible plot. The reader is drawn in immediately by Rebecca, who is blundering through the grocery store with her young niece and nephew in tow. You can’t help rooting for this innocent young woman, and you’ll find yourself hoping she’ll hit it off with the courteous guy she meets in the store.

Stay with Me is a great blend of romance and faith witness and comes complete with a great set of supporting characters like Abby (Rebecca’s boisterous sister), Father John (who’s connected to both Rebecca and her love interest) and Rebecca’s overbearing father.

I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel and I really enjoyed it. I have to say that Abby was my favorite character, even though my personality is much more like Rebecca’s. Abby is funny, but with plenty of wisdom underneath, and I think her presence added a lot to the story.

It is important to note that you don’t need to be familiar with Dave Matthews Band music to enjoy this book. While DMB gets mentioned a lot, there’s plenty of other music that plays a role. Check out the playlist for the novel!

At the beginning of this review, I mentioned that Carolyn is a friend. I actually met her over the summer at the Catholic Writers Guild conference, and it was fun to discuss her story, and her characters, with the author in person. That’s reader heaven right there. Because we can’t all be together in one room to talk about the book, I asked Carolyn if she’d answer a few questions to go with this review.

1. Tell us about the fine line you walk in writing “edgy Theology of the Body romance.”

Unless you’re seeking pure escapism, I don’t think there’s much benefit it whitewashing the challenges and temptations inherent in trying to live the virtue of chastity. A story is both more engaging and provides more substance for reflection if the characters experience real problems and inhabit a recognizable world that is often indifferent or hostile to a lifestyle that acknowledges we are male and female, body as much as soul, and what we do with our bodies matters. That said, there are details and intimacies that are better left not even to our imaginations, but simply left out. There’s a point where edgy can become explicit and teeter towards pornography. That’s not a direction I want to take.

2. Which of your novel’s characters would you like to invite to dinner and why? (You can only choose one!)

If I were single, I’d choose Chris because while not perfect, he’s a genuine good guy, and I have an unfulfilled desire to ride on a Harley Davidson. But, being a married woman, I’d like to invite Rebecca’s sister Abby to dinner. You never know what’s going to come out of Abby’s mouth, so it’d be entertaining, and I think we could bond over our lives with several small children underfoot.

3. What’s been the most exciting part about launching this book? Have there been any surprises along the way?

Seeing such a large project come to completion – or at least fulfillment – is exciting. Most of my days are consumed by managing small, immediate tasks such as changing diapers, wiping up messes, and shepherding older kids. Launching a book exercised some completely different parts of my brain and tried my patience in different ways. The biggest surprise has been discovering how gracious and supportive other writers are. It’s been said a million times, but writing a book and finding its niche are not things you can do alone – at least not well. I’ve been blessed by so many people who offered advice, encouragement, and so much more.

 

Want to visit the other stops on Carolyn’s book tour?

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1: CATHOLICMOM.COM
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2: RECONCILED TO YOU (ALLISON GINGRAS)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3: PEACE TO ALL WHO ENTER HERE (DON MULCARE)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4: KAREN KELLY BOYCE
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5: THERESE HECKENKAMP
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6:CATHOLIC FIRE (JEAN HEIMANN)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7: SARAH DAMM AND ROBIN PATCHEN
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8: SNORING SCHOLAR (SARAH REINHARD), ERIN McCOLE CUPP, PLOT LINE AND SINKER (ELLEN GABLE)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9: DOMESTIC VOCATION (CHRISTINE JOHNSON)

Still want more? Sign up for Carolyn’s newsletter!

Carolyn author pictureCarolyn Astfalk resides with her husband and four children in Hershey, Pennsylvania. She blogs at My Scribbler’s Heart.

Note: Amazon links to Stay With Me are affiliate links. This means that your purchase of this book, at no extra cost to you, puts a little something into my virtual Amazon tip jar. Thanks!

On Barb’s Bookshelf: The Sweetest Rain Review and Giveaway!

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Barb's Book shelf blog title

On my bookshelf today: a sweet Catholic romance novel that takes place in Depression-era Arkansas. As historical fiction goes, this is one of my favorite time periods to read about; I think this is because characters are too busy surviving to do much navel-gazing.

ofu5Nt5bAI1EOJeG-oPAco0tPN9Tk6LCDMtIAp0NsxAMyra Johnson’s novel, The Sweetest Rain, finds a tenant farmer’s responsible oldest granddaughter in search of a way to supplement the near-nonexistent farm income during a drought season. Boldly approaching the plantation owner, she lands a housekeeping job in his grand home and upsets the status quo by getting involved in “upstairs, downstairs” politics–and falling in love with the owner’s son.

I enjoyed the portrayal of the two very different worlds that Bryony, the heroine, walked between, and the strength and grit she showed in helping her family survive. In some ways, she reminded me of George Bailey, doing what had to be done for her family, even at the expense of her own dreams. How this plays out as the story goes on–well, I don’t want to give any spoilers here. But I will say this: if you like Downton Abbey, you’ll like this novel!

Since this book is from the genre known as “sweet romance,” it’s appropriate for teens as well as adults.

FM_Color_LogoTo help me introduce this book to more readers, publisher Franciscan Media is offering a copy of The Sweetest Rain to one lucky reader! To put your name in the hat for a FREE copy of this novel, simply answer this question in the comment box:

What’s your favorite time period to read about in historical fiction?

This contest ends Tuesday, October 13 at noon Eastern. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

Want more chances to win? Visit the other blogs on the book tour and enter your name in their giveaways!

Myra Johnson 2014About author Myra Johnson:

Myra Johnson’s roots go deep into Texas soil, but she now enjoys living amidst the scenic beauty of North Carolina. Myra’s debut novel, One Imperfect Christmas, was a September 2009 release from Abingdon Press. She has also written six novels for the Heartsong Presents line. Most recently she has completed a three-book historical romance series, “Till We Meet Again,” for Abingdon Press. Myra and her husband, Jack, have two married daughters and seven grandchildren.

 

Eat, Drink and Evangelize: A Book Review and a Recipe

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catholic drinkie bookIn just one book, you’ll get Church history, Gospel stories, patron saints, prayers, quotes from G.K. Chesterton, social-media advice and recipes for beer. Sarah Vabulas has managed to blend all of this–and more–together to create The Catholic Drinkie’s Guide to Homebrewed Evangelism. And she puts it together in an entertaining manner, with plenty of good humor and common-sense advice.

I definitely get where Sarah is coming from in section 3 of this book (Responsibly and Successfully Building Community.) My own love language is food. I love to cook and bake for people. But while I love recipes, I love her message about evangelization even more (and I think a lot of it applies to food as well as what Jeopardy refers to as “potent potables”).

Sarah is honest and real about the pitfalls of social-media use and all-the-time evangelization that isn’t backed up enough by personal prayer. As an introvert, I am in awe of her ability to

“go out to dinner and strike up a conversation with a neighboring patron, acknowledging his dignity and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide my words and actions. This is the call of the New Evangelization. This is how we say ‘yes’ to the Lord in our everyday lives.” (p. 99)

Sarah describes her hobby of homebrewing beer as another way to build community. It can be a group process, which makes the job more fun–and she also finds opportunities to share her faith with her friends during the process. It’s also an opportunity to make gifts for others, sharing one’s own talents and interests while paying attention to what our loved ones enjoy so that we can craft the perfect gift.

spent grain 2 cRegarding the section of the book that includes recipes for homebrewed beer, I do disagree with Sarah’s assertion that you can’t brew 5-gallon batches of beer in an apartment. My older son does this–and he’s the reason I had a container of dried spent grain at the ready to experiment with bread recipes. Spent grain is a by-product of the beer-brewing process, and frugal brewers have discovered that you can use it in cooking. My own experiments in baking with spent grain affirm what I’ve read online–you can’t make the spent grain much more than 10% of your recipe’s total grain content.

Brewing beer actually has quite a bit in common with baking bread, and not just because both of them involve yeast and grain. They also both involve what Sarah refers to as “hurry-up-and-wait activity,” but when you brew beer, you have to wait a couple of weeks to sample your finished product!

spent grain bread (5) CM FII created this recipe for spent-grain bread as an homage to Sarah’s work. If she lived closer, I’d share a loaf with her. There’s a reason many of my bread recipes make 2 loaves: one for the family, one to share!

Spent-Grain Bread

makes 2 loaves

1 3/4 cups warm water
2 TBL butter
3 TBL honey
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup dried spent grain
1 TBL active dry yeast

Add all ingredients to your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Use the dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough to a floured surface. Divide in half and shape into loaves. Place loaves in prepared bread pans. Cut 2 or 3 diagonal slashes in the top of each loaf. Allow to rise 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 and bake 35 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

spent grain bread (6)c

Order your copy of The Catholic Drinkie’s Guide to Homebrewed Evangelism using my affiliate link and you’ll support my reading and cooking habit with your purchase–but you pay nothing extra!

Book Review: Real Life on a Budget

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Real Life on a Budget coverReal Housekeeping contributor Jessi Fearon has written a winner of an ebook on budgeting and frugal living. Real Life on a Budget is packed with advice for establishing a household budget, living within your means, and finding ways to save for the unexpected.

Whether you purchase this book for yourself or as a gift for a recent graduate, newly-married couple or young adult just starting out on his or her own, there’s plenty of sound advice here.

I like to think of myself as a fairly frugal-minded person (yesterday, for example, I saved $63.07 off my grocery bill by using coupons and purchasing items on sale, and I already use dollar-store microfiber cleaning cloths on my Swiffer dry mop) but I’ve learned a lot by reading this book. My favorite chapters: “Identify Budget Wreckers,” “Breaking Bad Money Habits” and “Don’t Be Cheap!”

As our children have grown, our priorities for spending (and saving) money have changed. This book is a good shot in the arm as we take a look at our budget for the next year and our longer-term plans as well.

Real Life on a Budget releases June 30 but you can preorder now and it will be delivered straight to your Kindle on release date! It is priced at $5.99 (and if you skip takeout once this week in favor of a meal prepared at home, you’ll save at least that much!)

Author photo Jessi Fearon

About the author: Jessi Fearon is a wife and mom of two young boys. She is devoted to helping others live well and thrive on a budget while becoming better money managers.

Want to know more? Follow author Jessi Fearon on Twitter and Instagram or check out her blog, The Budget Mama.

Note: Links to this book are Amazon affiliate links, which means that your purchase of this book costs you nothing extra but gives me a little extra to spend on the necessities of life at Amazon.

The Fine Print: I was given a free preview copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation for my review, and the opinions expressed here are mine alone.

Children’s Book Spotlight: Sisters of the Last Straw, Book 3

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Today the Catholic Writers Guild turns the spotlight on a delightful children’s book for middle-grade readers (ages 7 through 10, or thereabouts.) I’m happy to help author (and fellow Jersey girl) Karen Kelly Boyce promote Sisters of the Last Straw: The Case of the Stolen Rosaries; I’ve read it and I thought it was terrific.

SOLS_3

This installment of the middle-grade series “Sisters of the Last Straw” features more hilarious mishaps by the flawed-but-trying Sisters who want to pray and do good for others despite their own shortcomings. This mystery involves disappearing rosaries, which the Sisters sell to raise money to buy food for the poor. The book also features chickens, a cranky neighbor, and a very unusual birthday cake. This chapter book would make a great family or classroom read-aloud.

I love that the author shows the human side of the Sisters. Each of them has a flaw or bad habit that she struggles against; they don’t appear perfect all the time, because after all, nobody is! These struggles have some comic results, but the lesson is there that we can and should be patient with each other while we try to grow in virtue.

Read a few preview chapters here (warning: you’ll be hooked!) CWGSOA_200

Visit the author’s website here.

This novel received the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval in Fall 2014.

This book is available in Kindle or paperback format at Amazon.

If you purchase this book through any of the Amazon links in this post, it costs YOU nothing extra and gives ME a little extra!

Book Review: From the Hub to the Heart

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It’s my privilege to participate in Andy LaVallee’s book-launch blog tour, hosted by Ellen Gable Hrkach of Full Quiver Publishing.

from the hub to the heart coverAndy LaVallee’s spiritual memoir, From the Hub to the Heart, written with Leticia Velasquez, depicts his youth in a Boston neighborhood that was almost a small town in itself, his tough-guy young adult years in which he built a lucrative business, and his dramatic return to the Faith.

Yes, I said dramatic. It’s not St. Paul being thrown off a horse, but it’s close. Andy LaVallee has a big personality, and God needed to go big to get his attention. (And that’s all I’m going to say on the subject, because I’m no fan of spoilers.)

My favorite part of this memoir was the last page in each chapter. This is where LaVallee takes a look at what he learned through the lens of one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. He boils down what he has learned the hard way into advice for the reader. While the entire book reads as if LaVallee is sitting next to you, telling you his story and what he hopes you’ll learn from it, these pages relate his experiences directly to the Faith.

LaVallee’s faith became so important to him and to the way in which he lives his life and runs his business that the story of his faith journey just spills out of him. From a rough Boston neighborhood to the nation’s country clubs to Medjugorjie, the author learned to put God in charge of the direction of his life, as he explains in chapter 6, where he compares the GPS in his car to his own guiding principles. Summing up that chapter, LaVallee writes,

…I was lost, and now I have a goal and specific tasks to support me on my journey. These habits of virtue are the new me and how I can show love and forgiveness in each area of my life….it’s a constant battle to give up old bad habits and replace them with good ones, and thus must be kept up daily. (p. 133)

Because LaVallee’s book is instructional as well as inspirational, this would be an excellent read for anyone in the RCIA program or for someone interested in deepening their spiritual life.

From the Hub to the Heart is available on Kindle for $3.99; the paperback is available from LaVallee’s site, Live the Fast, for $14.99.

Turning the Tables: Working Mother

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When an author releases a new book, she often schedules a virtual book tour on various blogs. These tours feature interviews, promotions and book reviews. I’ve hosted several stops on virtual blog book tours as a way to help authors promote their new books.

erin mccole cupp author photoMy friend Erin McCole-Cupp has taken a different route upon the December 28 release of her novella, Working Mother. She’s interviewing a bunch of moms at her own blog, and today is my turn!

It was an honor to be interviewed as part of Erin’s promotion of her newest piece of short fiction. I’d like to tell you a bit about the story:

Working Mother is a well-researched piece of short fiction in which the Holy Family, in exile in Egypt after King Herod’s slaughter of the innocents, faces a crisis after Joseph is injured at work. Living hand-to-mouth in a refugee camp, Mary seizes an opportunity to help support her family while Joseph recovers from his injury.

working motherThis short story proves that Erin McCole-Cupp’s writing chops aren’t limited to the 80s (see Don’t You Forget About Me), the future (see Jane E., Friendless Orphan) or the 90s (see her highly-anticipated sequel to DYFAM, currently in progress).

I love the cover image on this book, which was published by Full Quiver Publishing.

And I loved the story. I hope that Erin’s imagination will lead her to continue the tale. After all, we’ve only got that one story of Jesus’ youth–the Finding in the Temple at the age of 12. And then there’s nothing until his public ministry when he was about 30. That should give Erin plenty to work with.

Enjoy Working Mother. The short story is only 99 cents and it speaks to the devotion of the Blessed Mother for her son and for her husband. I give it 5 stars, and I want to read more!

 

Book Review: The Grace of Yes by Lisa Hendey

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Lisa Hendey is the driving force behind one of my favorite websites, CatholicMom.com. But her latest inspirational book, The Grace of Yes, is geared toward a wider audience.

grace of yesYou don’t have to be a mom to appreciate the wisdom in this book. For that matter, you don’t even have to be a parent. With The Grace of Yes, Lisa Hendey has broadened her focus even as she bares her soul and tells the story of her own struggles and joys as she lives out God’s plan in her life. It’s not a big book, but there’s a lot of food for thought in those 160 pages.

I’m glad I said “yes” to reading Lisa Hendey’s latest book. It’s a combination memoir and pep talk with prayer, Scripture and inspiring quotes to tie the whole thing together. This book touches on the many ways saying “yes” can be an opportunity for grace for ourselves and others–and why sometimes saying “no” is also necessary to allow grace to work within us.

Whether you’re overwhelmed, exhausted, looking for a new direction or just starting on your path, you’ll find help, encouragement and Lisa’s kindred (and kind) spirit within these pages.

I read a preview edition of this book on my e-reader and am eagerly awaiting delivery of my print copy (Amazon promises to have it here by November 10). I already know that I want to go through this book again, highlighter in hand.

GOY-Book-Club-sq-400x400To accompany the launch of this book, CatholicMom.com is hosting a Grace of Yes Book Club. Coordinated by the impossibly-energetic Sarah Reinhard, the Book Club will feature a reflection each Saturday. You can read along and add comments to each Saturday’s Book Club post. Here’s a list of the scheduled topics:

  • November 1 – Interview with author Lisa Hendey
  • November 8 – Chapter 1: The Grace of Belief
  • November 15 – Chapter 2: The Grace of Generativity
  • November 22 – Chapter 3: The Grace of Creativity
  • November 29 – Chapter 4: The Grace of Integrity
  • December 6 – Chapter 5: The Grace of Humility
  • December 13 – Chapter 6: The Grace of Vulnerability
  • December 20 – Chapter 7: The Grace of No
  • December 27 – Chapter 8: The Grace of Rebirth

I was humbled to be asked to write one of these reflections; my chapter is Chapter 3:  The Grace of Creativity and is scheduled for November 22.

Friends-of-Fiat-400x400Finally, take a look at that cute little fish on the cover, and read the story of how the fish got a name! I may or may not have stuffed the ballot box, voted early and often, and spammed my Facebook and Twitter feeds to help push my favorite fish name to the top of the charts. But it’s all good:  there was a donation to charity at stake. My chosen charity is the local crisis pregnancy center, First Way of Burlington County, NJ, and they are in great need of assistance at this time. In your kindness, remember their good work in your prayers, and please donate to your local crisis pregnancy center. They do amazing work!

The fine print: This review is based on a preview copy of the book, courtesy of Netgalley.