Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Grace-filled Tuesdays ("Meeting" #3)

If you'd like to come to a "meeting" of my on-line book club, Grace-filled Tuesdays (where we'll discuss not only Finding Grace, but Erin's Ring as well), head on over to String of Pearls today!

Monday, February 23, 2015

A New Review for Erin's Ring

Here's a new review for Erins Ring, by Catholic writer, artist, and homeschooling mom, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur (who also reviewed Finding Grace a couple of years ago): http://spiritualwomanthoughts.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-erins-ring.html.  The review appeared not only on Patrice's Spiritual Woman blog, but on Amazon, too.  And she gave it five stars!

Thanks, Patrice!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

#showusyourlist (Good, Clean Fiction to Nourish Your Soul)

Erin McCole Cupp, a Catholic blogger and the author of a wonderful novel called Don't You Forget About Me, has come up with a Mardi Gras hashtag media blitz idea: she has invited a slew of fellow writers and bloggers to share lists of fictional works they've enjoyed (books, of course, but movies as well)--works that remind readers that there are choices out there that are a whole lot more wholesome and inspiring than the trashy and surprisingly popular garbage that passes as "literature" in our modern world.  Works that are polluting minds and damaging souls.  (You know, like 50 Shades of Grey, to name one such offering.)  The plan is to saturate the Twitterverse, the blogosphere, and the land of Facebook with these encouraging lists of entertainment choices that are "good, beautiful & true," and to tag them #showusyourlist.
Here's Erin's post, if you'd like to check it out and see what titles she's put on her list.

I've never read 50 Shades, a shameful trilogy of books that glamorizes kinky, misogynistic, and abusive sexual practices.  But I've heard enough to know I never will.  And I don't think you have to be a mental giant to realize that what's being peddled here isn't harmless escapist entertainment for women; it's pornography.
This meme would be sort of funny if it wasn't for the expression on Belle's face.  She's looking at Gaston (a macho doofus who might be my boys' favorite Disney animated character of all time) with a patronizing expression, as if to say, "What do you expect from a meathead like him?  His biceps might look like watermelons, but his brain is the size of a pea."  But in this case, even a man of little brain like Gaston is right on the money.  Ladies, if you think these books have any redeeming qualities, you're fooling yourself.  If you think they're morally neutral escapist fantasy, you're fooling yourself.

You wouldn't be happy if you caught your husband looking at pornographic materials, would you?  So how do you think he'll feel if he finds you reading this sort of smut?

Anyhoo--

I decided to join Erin and make a list of way-better-for-your-soul books that I've enjoyed, works of contemporary fiction that you can read in public without one iota of shame.  I posted my list earlier today at String of Pearls, if you'd like to check it out.

I urge you to support authors who are writing uplifting, clean, inspiring literature.  Buy their books.  Leave reviews on Amazon, if you're so inclined (even just a few words can help).  It's not enough to say "Don't read 50 Shades!" and leave it at that.  Find books that you think people should read, and promote those among your friends and loved ones.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

A Plug for My Book Club

I have the best publisher!

Cheryl Dickow, president of Bezalel Books, just blogged about the Grace-filled Tuesdays book club that I started recently on my String of Pearls blog (we just had our second "meeting" yesterday).  I love the title Cheryl chose for her post: "God's Grace and Grace Kelly."  (Methinks THAT would have made an excellent name for this club!)

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Harper Lee's Second Novel

You guys, I have an author's page on Amazon.  Amazing.  And my long-held pipe-dream was to write just one novel in my lifetime, a la Harper Lee (yes, folks, I did just put my humble little self in the same sentence with that literary giant--shame on me!).  Yet there are  two books listed on my Amazon page now.

Sometimes I have to pinch myself.

When I add up my sales revenues, there's no pinching going on--believe me.  I am not going to be able to tell my husband that he can retire now because my book income can support us. 

But getting rich has never been the goal, anyway.  Using the gifts God gave me to give Him greater glory is the only important thing here.  If even one reader is inspired to love Him more after reading one of my books--just one reader--then my goal has been accomplished.

When I read To Kill a Mockingbird at the age of about eleven, Harper Lee's history inspired me.  That book was the catalyst that set my dream in motion: one novel, that's what I would write.  Just one.   In 2012, when I was a newly-minted grandmother, that dream was finally realized with Finding Grace; and I thought, "Okay, now I'm done."  I didn't think I had another book in me.  Truly I didn't.  And that was okay by me.  For goodness sake, one book was good enough for Harper Lee--it was certainly good enough for me!  (By the way, thank you, Cheryl Dickow, for thinking otherwise, or I wouldn't have had the joy of bringing Erin's Ring to life.)
But have you heard the exciting news about Harper Lee?  At the age of 88--55 years after her first (and only) book was published--she is publishing her second novel, titled Go Set a Watchman.  It is a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, featuring a grown-up Scout.  In reality, however, this is the novel she wrote first!  But the publisher was very taken with the flashbacks to Scout's childhood in Lee's debut manuscript and convinced her to write another book, from young Scout's perspective.  That book became the wildly successful To Kill a Mockingbird, and it made the reclusive author a millionaire many times over.  (If you want to read more about this incredible story, check out this article, or this one.)

I have lots of copies of Lee's masterpiece in my house.  Two are hardcover special edition copies, with vintage-style artwork on the covers.  (Those are the ones I keep in the living room, for show--they're too precious to thumb through with chocolate-stained fingers; I have several dog-eared paperback copies, complete with coffee stains, on the family room shelves as well.)  And you can bet I'll have some copies of Lee's second published work (which will be available in July of 2015) on my shelf as soon as it's out.  In fact, I've already pre-ordered a hardcover copy from Amazon.

Harper Lee's is a lot more impressive than mine...but you guys, I have an Amazon author's page.  And sometimes I think if it wasn't for Lee and the effect her work had one me, I wouldn't have one at all.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

A New Review of Erin's Ring

I was thrilled to get this review of Erin's Ring from Madeline, who blogs over at A Dash of Snark.
http://adashofsnark.blogspot.com/2015/02/wwrw-erins-ring.html

Thanks so much, Madeline!

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

I've Started a Book Club!

Well, I started a book club over at String of Pearls, to discuss both of my Catholic novels (Finding Grace and Erin's Ring).  It's called Grace-Filled Tuesdays, and if you want to head on over and join the discussion, here's the link: http://mumsie2five.blogspot.com/2015/02/grace-filled-tuesdays-book-club-meeting.html

I hope you'll stop by!  I'd love to talk books with you!