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Author: CAstfalk

Carolyn Astfalk is a wife, mother, and author of contemporary Catholic romances, including her latest, All in Good Time. She formerly worked as a communications director and now works just to keep her head above water. Find her books on Amazon and her other words scattered around the blogosphere and social media.

The Egyptian Elixir Blog Tour

Published by CAstfalk on 02/16/2017

I’m happy to host the blog tour for Page Zaplendam’ s latest release, The Egyptian Elixir: A Regency Vampire Novella, the second book in The Unofficial Chronicles of John Grissom.

Egyptian Elixir

About the Book:

What could possibly go wrong on a surveillance trip to Parliament? Apparently everything.

Vampire bacteriologist John Grissom and vampire hunter Van Helsing are unlikely friends and coworkers. As members of Bow Street’s newly founded clandestine investigative division, Odd Crimes, they find themselves witnesses to an assassination attempt on the Marquis of Wellesley. And discover London’s most notorious purveyor of stolen goods at the bottom of it.

But Sir Antony’s ability to influence people is unusual to say the least. The vampire and the hunter investigate, but the Egyptian elixir may prove the undoing of them both.

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This Dread Road Blog Tour

Published by CAstfalk on 02/13/2017

Dread Road Blog Tour header

Release Date: February 14, 2017
Published by: Three Amigas Press
Genre: Historical Romance, Women’s Fiction

Available from: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Createspace.

I’m happy to host the blog tour for Olivia Folmar Ard’s latest release, This Dread Road, the third book in The Bennet Series. Jump ahead if you’d like to the book summary, my review, excerpts, and about the author!

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Seven Quick Takes

Published by CAstfalk on 02/10/2017

7 Quick Takes

The Blessings Crowding My Brain Edition

The early part of this week left me feeling as if I were suffocating under a growing list of “to-dos.” Each task I accomplished added three to the list as I realized yet something else that needed to be done. From meals to chores to decluttering to blogging and writing – I felt the weight of the many little straws threatening to break this camel’s back. I’ve tried to re-frame my discouragement with gratitude in terms of the blessings in disguise.

pushing boulder
Photo by gentlegiant27153 (Pixabay)
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Bills and Taxes

The bills never stop coming, do they? Online billing is supposed to simplify this process, but while I don’t have to use as many stamps as before, I find myself logging into and out of accounts, checking balances, scheduling payments, and discussing (via text message) with my husband where the money is going to come from. Top that off with the incomes taxes due, requiring multiple reports and paper shuffling, and I’m pretty tired of dealing with money issues. It’s my hope that the taxes will be filed before this blog posts, and I won’t have to worry about income taxes for another year.

Blessing: My husband has had uninterrupted employment. We have a roof over our heads and are able to afford all of the necessities and then some.

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The Unexpected Confirmation Saint: One of God’s Mercies

Published by CAstfalk on 02/06/2017

My oldest son will be confirmed in the Catholic Church at the end of the month. The link in the previous sentence explains the sacrament in a thorough, easy-to-understand fashion. Regarding names chosen at confirmation, it explains that:

“At Baptism, the name was chosen without the child’s consent because the child was too little to make the selection alone. Now, in Confirmation, another name — in addition to the first and middle names — can be added, or the original baptismal name may be used. It must be a Christian name, though, such as one of the canonized saints of the Church or a hero from the Bible.”

[As an aside, I highly recommend Catholicism for Dummies by Rev. John Trigilio, Jr. and Rev. Kenneth Brighenti, whether you are a”dummy” about Catholicism or not. Fully orthodox and plainly written, it’s a great reference.]

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#5Faves: Parental Uses for a Timer

Published by CAstfalk on 01/25/2017

My mom had a simple timer that she used exclusively for cooking and baking. Whether it was lasagna in the oven or her frequent batches of chocolate chip cookies, the timer’s use was exclusively in the kitchen. I recall an egg timer or two as well, the old-fashioned sand-filled kind, which were used for my play.

chick timer
Our beloved chick timer.

The myriad uses for the timer are yet to be explored in our house, but since joining 10 Minute Novelists several years ago, I’ve discovered more “grown up” uses for the timer that I should be employing more frequently to keep on task with both writing and household chores.

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