Before I dive into what’s being read in our household this month, I have some exciting news to share! Starting in May, An Open Book…
7 CommentsRelevant Fiction for Body & Soul
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.
It’s been my experience that authors and writers are a generous bunch. The vast majority of my interactions with fellow writers over the past several years has been positive. I’ve discovered support and easy camaraderie in a variety of author groups – some religious, some secular; some online, some in real life. Author friends are quick to share their experiences, advice, and sympathy. They’ll cheer your successes and bemoan your dejection, ready to boost your spirits and, if it’s within their means, your book’s success.
It’s no April Fool’s joke. I’m happy to share that my coming-of-age novel Rightfully Ours will be published by Full Quiver Publishing on April 1,…
1 CommentI’m linking up with The Broke and the Bookish (which describes me quite well) for my latest 5-star reads! I know first-hand the importance of reviews, so I review most – but not all – books I read. I reviewed each of the books listed below on Amazon and Goodreads. Each was read sometime between early January 2016 and now, and for those who are concerned with such things, all are “clean” reads. I’m kind of surprised as I look over this list that only two are standalone novels – Jenny B. Jones’s I’ll Be Yours and Quenby Olson’s The Half-Killed. Now, on to the list!
3 CommentsBest wishes for a happy and blessed Easter! Here are a few of my favorite Easter things: Easter Hymn Apparently, my favorite Easter hymn, “Christ…
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There is little I like about our kitchen itself. So, to find the joy in the kitchen, I have to look to gadgets and other “fun” stuff. These are five of my current kitchen faves.
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Banana Hanger
I often wonder if I’m raising a troop of monkeys. Poo flinging, nitpicking, and other monkey action aside, the sheer number of bananas consumed is staggering some weeks. Finally, instead of multiple bunches littering our limited counter space, they hang above it. I don’t know whether it has any effect on their ripening or shelf life, but it’s a space saver.
The Well, the first book in The Living Water Series, is a spectacular debut novel. I don’t cry easily while reading, but the book’s portrayal of sacrificial love left me with tears streaming down my cheeks. How did you come to fiction writing and how long was The Well brewing (or bubbling), so to speak, before its publication?
Thank you so much, Carolyn. I am truly happiest when I’ve made my readers cry. ☺
As for my writing journey, I can see now that I was inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. When I decided to write historical fiction, I had no idea what or whom or when I wanted to write about. After about a year of no ideas, I was ready to give up. Then, one day at Mass not long before Easter, I heard the Gospel account of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman. Sitting in my pew, I began to wonder about her—who was she? Who was her family? And most of all, what happened to her after she met Jesus?
By the time I got home, I knew that it was her story that I wanted to write. I even had a rough idea of Mara’s character and that of her mother, Nava. Since that day, I find my best inspiration at Mass or at our perpetual adoration chapel.
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