Happy Tuesday, readers! Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly blog challenge hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every Tuesday, multiple bloggers share their favorite books from a selected topic. Today’s topic is “Destination Titles (titles with name of places in them)”. I don’t travel very much in real life so I love being able to visit lots of locations without ever having to leave home. That could also be why the characters I write travel so much!
Cathey’s Creek Road by Hannah Hood Lucero
The Oystercatcher of Southwark by Erica Colahan
Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M. White – Savannah, Georgia
Widow of Gettysburg by Jocelyn Green
The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron
The Paper Girl of Paris by Jordyn Taylor
The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant
A Bride’s Journey to Colorado Territory by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn
The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg
Have you read any of these? Is there another destination book you would recommend?
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Happy November, readers, and Happy Veterans Day in the U.S.! This month is full of lots of exciting news from both me and my fellow authors.
What’s in this Edition:
Updates for Stars in the Storm
An Old Fashioned Christmas Catalog – Larksong joins the Famiglia Christmas Companion
Launch Team Madness – Three recommended reads + a Giveaway
Releasing in November – Other authors’ new releases I’m most excited about.
Updates for Stars in the Storm
Readers, we’re getting closer! I have five more chapters to finish writing, then one more round of edits before sending off to beta readers, hopefully by December 1. Keep an eye out after the new year as I will be including a cover reveal and pre-order link, hopefully still with the intended February 9 release date. In the meantime, enjoy these mostly spoiler free fun facts about Stars‘ main characters, Alice Ann and Cade:
Remember receiving the old Christmas catalogs in the mail, flipping through the pages, and circling all your favorites? Well, Famiglia offers a print version just for Catholic small businesses and this year, Larksong Legacy is included! The best part is, you can request a copy to be sent to your door for free. Get your copy here:
This month, I’m thrilled to be on the launch team for three Catholic authors, one of whom I designed her book’s cover. Rebel Writers by Sarah Crowne is the first volume of a fun dive into the homes of several classic authors such as Harriet Beecher Stowne, Nathanial Hawthorne, and Louisa May Alcott. When designing the cover, we wanted something that would capture the feel of the book while being applicable to subsequent volumes. Here’s what Sarah had to say about the result: “I absolutely love it! The coolest thing is I used to work at the State Capitol in Connecticut. There is a statute of “the Genius” where I used to sit and think during breaks. This cover reminds me so much of it!”
Next up is a magical fantasy novel, Misshelved Magic written by S.R. Crickard and published by Chrism Press. This is the first book in her Liminal Library series and I am loving the cover designed by author, Roseanna M. White. What author isn’t intrigued by a book about books? I’ll admit, I ran out of time and haven’t read this one yet, but the pretty paperback is sitting on my shelf patiently awaiting its turn.
And finally, I’ve been reading through Pray with Us: A Saint for Every Day by Belinda Terro Mooney, a day-by-day guide to praying with the saints. What I like about this book is that each day has a short bio of the saint with a short prayer, so it’s easy to fit into your schedule. You’ll get to know some saints you probably haven’t heard of as well as spending time with those familiar to you. Belinda is also offering a chance to win one paperback copy of the book. See the link at the bottom of this post.
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Also Releasing in November
Need another read? Here are the new releases I’m excited about:
The Glory of Light by Hannah Hood Lucero – inspirational romantic suspense set on the streets of New Orleans
I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble – a grieving widow “talks” to her dead husband using AI and discovers that maybe his death wasn’t accidental after all
Holier Matrimony: Married Saints, Catholic Vows, and Sacramental Grace by Caitrin Bennett – inspiration for Catholic couples to help create loving Christ-centered relationships. Currently only available through Marian Press.
One Foggy Christmas by Kortney Keisel – a woman loses her memory in a ski accident and can’t remember her marriage. Can her husband win her back?
The Liberty Scarf by Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, Rachel McMillan – a story about three women, World War I, and a scarf that binds them together
Want to know what I’m currently reading? Follow me on GoodReads.
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Happy Tuesday, readers! Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly blog challenge hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every Tuesday, multiple bloggers share their favorite books from a selected topic. Today’s topic is “Books with [item] on the cover” and we got to choose the item. Since today is election day in the United States, I thought it would be appropriate to feature books written by the last ten American presidents. Now, get out there and vote!
Please note: I haven’t read any of these and therefore cannot endorse them either way.
In the Arena by President Richard Nixon
A Time to Heal by President Gerald Ford
A Full Life by President Jimmy Carter
An American Life by President Ronald Reagan
All the Best by President George Bush
My Life by President Bill Clinton
Decision Points by President George W. Bush
A Promised Land by President Barack Obama
Great Again by President Donald J. Trump
Promise Me, Dad by President Joe Biden
Have you read any of these? Is there another presidential book you would recommend?
If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to subscribe to my monthly newsletter, which includes updates on my books, behind the scenes information, and upcoming promotions. You can subscribe to updates by entering your e-mail on the Newsletter page. E-mail addresses are never sold or distributed. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Happy Tuesday, readers! Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly blog challenge hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every Tuesday, multiple bloggers share their favorite books from a selected topic. Today’s topic is a Halloween Freebie which means we can choose any topic about Halloween. I don’t typically read or watch scary stories, but there are a few books I’ve enjoyed despite their creepy nature.
The Curse of Misty Wayfair, The Souls of Lost Lake, and The Lost Boys of Barlow Theater by Jaime Jo Wright – Jaime Jo is my favorite spooky story author. All of her books are creepy, but they always end up with a plausible, non-supernatural explanation. It’s kind of like Scooby Do for adults.
The Madman’s Daughter series by Megan Shepherd – One of my favorite series! This gothic historical is based on The Island of Doctor Moreau, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Frankenstein.
Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs – The most frightening part of this book is the black and white photos he integrates, totally creepy.
The Green Mile by Stephen King – As good as, if not better than, the movie.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James – An actual ghost story, no Scooby Do antics in this one.
Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene – Yes, I had to dig deep to find more creepy books that I’d read. One of my favorites from my younger years.
Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare – This play is different from all his other work. It is brutal, disturbing, and interestingly written the same year as The Taming of the Shrew. I actually didn’t care for this one, but I ran out of scary books to include.
Have you read any of these? Do you enjoy spooky stories or do you steer clear?
If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to subscribe to my monthly newsletter, which includes updates on my books, behind the scenes information, and upcoming promotions. You can subscribe to updates by entering your e-mail on the Newsletter page. E-mail addresses are never sold or distributed. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Welcome back to the Extra Edition newsletter and welcome to my new subscribers from this past weekend’s St. Joseph Cottleville and Ursuline Academy events! I’m excited to bring you bonus content each month with a special inside look at my novels and the history behind them.
What’s in this Edition:
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
The Readers Have Spoken – The articles you want to see in 2025
Sing a Song of the Sea – My latest writing soundtrack
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness
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, so 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, and stillbirth 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.
This month, I ask that you pray for those who are facing these issues, both the ones you know of and those who haven’t yet shared their stories. For my Catholic readers, October is also the month of the Holy Rosary. Asking our Lady to join you in prayer to her Son is a powerful way to help bring others peace.
The Readers Have Spoken
Thank you to those who responded to my survey on serialized articles. Far and away, almost all of those who responded wanted to learn more about two main topics:
On Location – Real Life Locations from my Books
The Art of Cover Design – How I create my covers, source photos, work with authors, etc.
Coming in second was “The Self-Publishing Process – Behind-the-scenes steps readers may not know.”
When asked which topic you wanted to read about the most, the majority (44%) said you most wanted to learn about the real life locations from my novels. When asked about the frequency of articles, you were tied for “1-3 times per year” and “Rotate 2-3 topics over the course of a year.”
Based on these results, new articles will begin in January 2025. To ensure you see the articles you’re most interested in, make sure to save the following schedule. Additional articles, such as author interviews (placing 3rd), may also be added along the way.
Sing a Song of the Sea
Since a good amount of my next novel, Stars in the Storm, involves sailors, the sea, and sailing ships, I have been listening to sailing-inspired music while writing. Spotify has introduced me to a whole host of new artists and it’s been fun listening to the wide variety of music available. These are just a few of my favorites:
Due to variability in social media algorithms, the best way to receive this newsletter is through e-mail. If you were directed to this site via social media or a search engine, you can subscribe to updates by entering your e-mail on the Contact page. E-mail addresses are never sold or distributed. You may unsubscribe at any time.
