1 in 4

Welcome back to the Extra Edition newsletter!

What’s in this Edition:

• 1 in 4 – Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in my novels
• 1 in 4 More – Domestic Violence Awareness Month in my novels
• Matthias’s Bible – Dyslexia-Friendly Scripture
• Releasing in September/October– Other authors’ new releases I’m most excited about.

1 in 4

Did you know that October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month with October 15 being Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day? 1 out of every 4 women has experienced a miscarriage or infant loss at some point in their lives. My husband and I experienced two miscarriages, and I understand the heartbreak it brings and the years of struggle to find meaning from such a loss.

While miscarriage (and infertility in general) is a common problem, it is still discussed all too infrequently. I can only imagine how isolated one would feel in a time period without modern medicine, when few understood the complexities of reproduction, and discussing such delicate issues was considered socially unacceptable. These were some of the many reasons I chose to incorporate infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, and adoption into many of my stories. Through the couples in my books, I hope to show women and men the beauty they hold even without a biological child of their own, and that there is hope and blessing in overcoming that struggle together. I can only imagine how wonderful it will be to finally meet our babies in heaven after a lifetime of those children’s prayerful intercession. As St. Zelie Martin, the mother of St. Terese, said, “We shall find our little ones again up above.”

This month, if you’re 1 in 4, I encourage you to share your story with someone else who may be hurting. I’ve found that sharing about my own babies with others has brought comfort to both me and others. You may be surprised who else can relate.

Fictional accounts of infertility, miscarriage, and/or adoption can be found in my novels Broken Lines, Unsettled Shores, and Dusk Shall Weep. All novels end with hope.

1 in 4 More

Did you know that October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month? According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men aged 18 and older in the United States have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner, and almost half of all adults in the United States have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner. Even worse, 30% to 60% of intimate partner violence perpetrators also abuse children in the household. Abuse doesn’t always look like broken bones and black eyes, so many of those may not even realize that what they’re experiencing is abuse or may not be willing to admit it when they do.

I had a friend who experienced years of physical and emotional abuse from her partner without telling anyone about most of it. Thankfully, she eventually got out of that relationship, but not everyone’s story ends well. If you notice something about a friend, family member, or yourself that just doesn’t feel right and may be considered abuse, don’t be afraid to encourage them to seek help. At a minimum, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for advice on the next best steps. Your action could make all the difference.

Fictional accounts of intimate partner abuse can be found in my novels Broken Lines and Sparks Fly Upward and familial abuse can be found in my novels Across Oceans and the Larksong Legacy series. All novels end with hope.

Matthias’s Bible

In my novel, Astonished, Matthias Ward experiences a form of child abuse when his parents give him away because he’s unable to read. Years later, as Hawthorn Asylum’s mortician, he learned that his disability has a name: word blindness. Or, in modern terms, dyslexia. Living in the early 1900s, however, every teacher he encounters believes him incapable of learning, until he meets the superintendent’s daughter, Avila.

After writing a character whose inability to read isolated him from reading scripture, I was excited to hear that Ascension Press just released a new dyslexia-friendly Bible. I know that Matthias and Avila would be overjoyed to hear about it, too. You can grab your copy here, and I receive no compensation from your purchase.

Releasing in September & October

Need even more books? Here are this month’s (and last month’s) new releases. (Note: I receive no compensation for featuring the books below.)

• Raise My Ebenezer by Jennifer Q. Hunt – The second book in her 1830s Trail of Tears series, even better than the first. You can read my review here.
• Christmas Still by Jennifer Q. Hunt – Technically, this isn’t a new release, but a re-release. Originally published in 2020, Jennifer completed some light editing to this WWI novella and asked me to redesign the cover. (Ok, in honesty, I’ve been bothering her for years to let me redesign this one. I finally wore her down.) You can read my full review here.
• Sisters, School and Something More: A Therese of Lisieux Story by Amy Welborn & Claire Swinarski and illustrated by Lorena Cerqueira – This sweet new series is kind of like the saints version of American Girl. Books 2 and 3 focus on St. Rose of Lima and St. Teresa of Calcutta.
• Every Given Day by Cathy Gohlke – Inspired by true events, this faith-filled historical fiction novel brings together the 1918 Spanish Influenza and the discovery of insulin
• Samantha, the Next Chapter by Fiona Davis – Remember the American Girl books about Samantha? This novel tells her story as a young woman living in the 1920s. I am equal parts excited and also scared to read this. I loved the Samantha books as a kid and hope the author continues her story well.

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