giveaway

Sabbath Rest Book Talk [Mar 2018] HEROISM

Join us for our next SABBATH REST BOOK TALK!Sabbath Rest Book Talk: a monthly live interactive event where we talk about the value of fiction in developing compassion, empathy, and healthy relationships

Sunday, March 4 @ 7pm Eastern

Theme: Heroism

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Discuss HEROISM with Sr. Maria Grace Datenno of THE GOSPEL TIME TREKKERS SERIES on Sabbath Rest Book Talk #live #video #bookclubFeaturing Special Guest Sr. Maria Grace Dateno, FSP, author of The Gospel Time Trekkers Series

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Discuss HEROISM in FULL CYCLE on Sabbath Rest Book Talk #live #videoFull Cycle  by Christopher Blunt

Full Cycle – winner of Best Inspirational Fiction in the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards – tells the story of eleven-year-old Alex Peterson, whose physical disability makes him one of the least-athletic boys in his school. Still, Alex dreams of doing something unimaginable: the 200-mile, one-day Seattle to Portland bicycle ride.

COMMENT LIVE TO WIN YOUR COPY OF FULL CYCLE! (One winner will be selected at random from live commenters during the show;  a signed hard copy to a US mailing address OR eBook to non-US address). 

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Discuss HEROISM in A WRINKLE IN TIME on Sabbath Rest Book Talk #live #video A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

A 2018 major motion picture, in A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle introduced the world to the wonderful and unforgettable characters Meg and Charles Wallace Murry, and their friend Calvin O’Keefe. When the children learn that Mr. Murry has been captured by the Dark Thing, they time travel to Camazotz, where they must face the leader IT in the ultimate battle between good and evil—a journey that threatens their lives and our universe. A Newbery Award winner, A Wrinkle in Time is an iconic novel that continues to inspire millions of fans around the world.

A1PlaceHolderDiscuss HEROISM in THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC on Sabbath Rest Book TalkThe Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop

Ten-year-old William receives a wooden model of a medieval castle as a gift. It has everything he could possibly want, right down to a miniature drawbridge, a portcullis and a silver knight. In this enthralling story that weaves the everyday problems of growing up with magic and fantasy, the castle introduces William to an adventure involving magic, a ferocious dragon, a wicked wizard, and his own personal quest, where courage will finally triumph over fear.

Sign up here to get monthly reminders to tune in to Sabbath Rest Book Talk.

Check out the reading list for all of 2018.

For notifications that each month’s SRBT is available for viewing/listening, subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Plus, click here to check out our NEW GOODREADS FEATURE!  It’s a list! On Goodreads! Vote for books we’ve already featured and add any books you think we should discuss in the future!

Fiction is Good for you! Watch Sabbath Rest Book Talk, and never feel guilty for reading fiction again!

Sabbath Rest Book Talk: HEROISM [Mar 2018]

Join us for our next SABBATH REST BOOK TALK!Sabbath Rest Book Talk: a monthly live interactive event where we talk about the value of fiction in developing compassion, empathy, and healthy relationships

Sunday, March 4 @ 7pm Eastern

Theme: Heroism

Discuss HEROISM with Sr. Maria Grace Datenno of THE GOSPEL TIME TREKKERS SERIES on Sabbath Rest Book Talk #live #video #bookclubFeaturing Special Guest Sr. Maria Grace Dateno, FSP, author of The Gospel Time Trekkers Series

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Discuss HEROISM in FULL CYCLE on Sabbath Rest Book Talk #live #videoFull Cycle  by Christopher Blunt

Full Cycle – winner of Best Inspirational Fiction in the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards – tells the story of eleven-year-old Alex Peterson, whose physical disability makes him one of the least-athletic boys in his school. Still, Alex dreams of doing something unimaginable: the 200-mile, one-day Seattle to Portland bicycle ride.

COMMENT LIVE TO WIN YOUR COPY OF FULL CYCLE! (One winner will be selected at random from live commenters during the show;  a signed hard copy to a US mailing address OR eBook to non-US address). 

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Discuss HEROISM in A WRINKLE IN TIME on Sabbath Rest Book Talk #live #video A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

A 2018 major motion picture, in A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle introduced the world to the wonderful and unforgettable characters Meg and Charles Wallace Murry, and their friend Calvin O’Keefe. When the children learn that Mr. Murry has been captured by the Dark Thing, they time travel to Camazotz, where they must face the leader IT in the ultimate battle between good and evil—a journey that threatens their lives and our universe. A Newbery Award winner, A Wrinkle in Time is an iconic novel that continues to inspire millions of fans around the world.

A1PlaceHolderDiscuss HEROISM in THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC on Sabbath Rest Book TalkThe Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop

Ten-year-old William receives a wooden model of a medieval castle as a gift. It has everything he could possibly want, right down to a miniature drawbridge, a portcullis and a silver knight. In this enthralling story that weaves the everyday problems of growing up with magic and fantasy, the castle introduces William to an adventure involving magic, a ferocious dragon, a wicked wizard, and his own personal quest, where courage will finally triumph over fear.

Sign up here to get monthly reminders to tune in to Sabbath Rest Book Talk.

Check out the reading list for all of 2018.

For notifications that each month’s SRBT is available for viewing/listening, subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Plus, click here to check out our NEW GOODREADS FEATURE!  It’s a list! On Goodreads! Vote for books we’ve already featured and add any books you think we should discuss in the future!

Fiction is Good for you! Watch Sabbath Rest Book Talk, and never feel guilty for reading fiction again!

Sabbath Rest Book Talk [Feb 2018]

Carolyn Astfalk has a first Wednesday of the month book review linkup!

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The aforementioned Carolyn also joins me and Rebecca Willen every month for Sabbath Rest Book Talk.

Sabbath Rest Book Talk: a monthly live interactive event where we talk about the value of fiction in developing compassion, empathy, and healthy relationships

Sunday, February 4 @7pm Eastern

Theme: TRUST

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Special Guest: Connie Rossini, Trusting God with St. Therese

Comment during the show for a chance to win giveaways!

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Sabbath Rest Book Talk discusses the human themes in this book. #live #videoAll the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

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Sabbath Rest Book Talk discusses the human dimensions of this book. #live #videoStanding Strong: A West Brothers Story by Theresa Linden

COMMENT DURING FEBRUARY’S SRBT FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK (signed paperback to US Mailing Address, ebook to international addresses)

Having just confessed his sins to his priest–more sins than a kid his age should have–Jarret jumps in his Chrysler 300 and races to the outskirts of town. Emotion overwhelming him, he pulls off the road and flings himself face down behind an outcropping of rocks. Ever since that life-changing night in the canyon, Jarret has felt the presence of the Lord in his soul. Now that presence is fading. Is it his fault? How will he remain faithful without it when he still struggles against the same temptations? Meanwhile his twin brother, Keefe, questions whether he has a calling to religious life. He’s gone along with Jarret’s bad schemes for years. Is he worthy of such a calling? What would he have to give up to pursue a vocation? Keefe reads everything he can about St. Francis and the Franciscans, but he’s afraid to talk to his father about the Franciscans’ upcoming discernment retreat because his father seems closed to faith. Is he ready to go all in? Follow the West brothers in this contemporary teen fiction as they struggle through temptations and trials down paths they can barely see, toward goals they desire in the depths of their hearts.

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Sabbath Rest Book Talk discusses the human themes in this book. #live #videoEaster Bunny’s Amazing Day by Carol Benoist and Cathy Gilmore

Meet the Risen Jesus with an amazing bunny—and his amazing tale—in this beautifully illustrated hardcover children’s book. Children will learn about Jesus’ friendship and comfort through the eyes of a timid bunny rabbit who experiences firsthand the love and joy Jesus brings. Easter Bunny’s Amazing Day is sure to be a family favorite every Easter.

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Sign up here to get monthly reminders to tune in to Sabbath Rest Book Talk.

What’s your #OpenBook?

Don’t forget to link up YOUR #OpenBook reviews over at Carolyn’s!

Sabbath Rest Book Talk: Where Fiction is Good for You! Join us for a monthly video exchange on how fiction makes us more human.

WIN CHRISTMAS GRACE!

POSTPONED UNTIL SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5 AT 7PM EASTERN TIME!

 

Want to win a free audiobook? You totally can, and just in time for the holidays! Watch our next Sabbath Rest Book Talk on Sunday, October 29 November 5 at 7pm Eastern Time and comment live, and be entered to win a free copy of the audiobook of our adult reading selection for that month, Christmas Grace by SRBT favorite Leslie Lynch.

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No one wants to celebrate Christmas this year. Not Ella McKendrick, who, on the cusp of success as a potter, is tasked with her husband’s company party on too-short notice. She gives up her first pottery sale to pitch in, but the joy of the season is diminished.

Not Gertie Wycliffe, Ella’s mom, a new widow who is doing everything she can to avoid her first Christmas alone. No one understands the grief and terror she feels – maybe because the craziness of a seventy-four-year-old woman signing up for skydiving lessons is all she lets them see.

Not Natalie Shaw, Ella’s pregnant daughter. Natalie’s husband is deployed halfway around the world, and she believes that ignoring the holiday might blunt her loneliness.

Then disaster strikes, not once but twice. Three generations, three untenable situations. Three women who come together for each other and remember what’s most important about Christmas.

If you made it to this page on October 29 on or after November 5 you should be able to watch below. Good luck!

Sabbath Rest Book Talk/Open Book [August 2017]

Carolyn Astfalk has a first Wednesday of the month book review linkup!

an-open-book

The aforementioned Carolyn also joins me and Rebecca Willen every month for Sabbath Rest Book Talk.

Sabbath Rest Book Talk: a monthly live interactive event where we talk about the value of fiction in developing compassion, empathy, and healthy relationships

Our selections for August were:

Sabbath Rest Book Talk: Where Fiction Is Good For You! Join us for August 2017, and we'll talk about how these books show us what we humans can learn about growing up.

Adult Book: Soulless Creatures by Katharine Grubb

YA Book: Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Children’s/Readaloud: Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

And here’s what we had to say about them:

And big congrats to Lisa Hendey, who won the signed paperback copy of Soulless Creatures by Katharine Grubb!

Plus, click here to check out our

NEW GOODREADS FEATURE!

It’s a list! On Goodreads! Vote for books we’ve already featured and add any books you think we should discuss in the future!

Remember, all SRBTs here on out, I’ll continue announcing the book selections and focus ahead of time, so you can read along and join the discussion a little more easily and thoughtfully. Voila, for September:

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Adult Book: Opal’s Jubilee by Leslie Lynch

YA Book: The Good Master by Kate Seredy

Children’s/Readaloud: Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR AN OPAL’S JUBILEE GIVEAWAY:

deets on the way.  

That’s it for August! While we’re here, gentle reminder: To keep on top of each month’s SRBT selections, do sign up for my monthly newsletter. For notifications that each month’s SRBT is available for viewing/listening, subscribe to my YouTube channel.

What’s your #OpenBook?

Don’t forget to link up YOUR #OpenBook reviews over at Carolyn’s!

Sabbath Rest Book Talk: Where Fiction is Good for You! Join us for a monthly video exchange on how fiction makes us more human.

PSA: New Release from Annie Douglass Lima

Hey there, readers!  Please welcome longtime blogfriend and Clean Indie Reads writer Annie Douglass Lima as she shares her latest publishing news as well as offers a free copy of one of her books.  Take it away, Annie!

I’m excited to announce that my young adult action and adventure novel, The Gladiator and the Guard, is now available for purchase! This is the second book in the Krillonian Chronicles, sequel to The Collar and the Cavvarach.

First Things First: a Little Information about Book 1: 

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire’s most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie’s escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time.  With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?

What is the Collar for, and What is a Cavvarach?


The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major differences.  One is that slavery is legal there.  Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone.  Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement for the remover).  


Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil.  It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with “have a rack”), a weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge.  Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades.  You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.

Click here to order The Collar and the Cavvarach from Amazon 

for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through April 28th!

 

And now, The Gladiator and the Guard, with another awesome cover by the talented Jack Lin!

 

 

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is just one victory away from freedom. But after he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he is condemned to the violent life and early death of a gladiator. While his loved ones seek desperately for a way to rescue him, Bensin struggles to stay alive and forge an identity in an environment designed to strip it from him. When he infuriates the authorities with his choices, he knows he is running out of time. Can he stand against the cruelty of the arena system and seize his freedom before that system crushes him?

 

Click here to order The Gladiator and the Guard in Kindle format from Amazon 

for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through May 30!



Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and
later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published twelve books (two YA action and adventure novels, four fantasies, a puppet script, and five anthologies of her students’ poetry). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.


Connect with the Author Online:

Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com

 

Now, enter to win an Amazon gift card or a free digital copy of The Collar and the Cavvarach! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Or find the giveaway at this link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ad2fd99a3/?

 

Giveaways, Book Club, and more like “Wow Card Wednesday!”

Hey, Tomato Pie Peeps! This is going to be a fly-by. Things to do, people to see, breakfasts to cook, etc.

  1. Cristina at Filling My Prayer Closet has one part of an interview with little ol’ me, not to mention a giveaway of an ebook (Kindle, I believe) of Don’t You Forget About Me. BTW, this part of the interview reveals how the story came together, how endometriosis of all things played a part, and… outtakes. Books have outtakes. Oh yes they do. Cristina is a hilarious, warm and full of fresh ideas, so go check out this fresh, young lay Dominican.
  2. Tiffany at Life of a Catholic Librarian has another part of that interview and is giving away a hard copy of DYFAM. This part of the interview tackles the value of a Best Good Friend, how to write a mystery if you don’t really read them, and the question everybody seems to want to ask but is afraid to: Is Cate really just Erin with a different name? If I have learned one thing from homeschooling, it is the value of a good librarian–her value is above rubies, above curriculum catalogs. Go visit Tiffany, a lay Dominican Middle Eastern dancer. Yes, you can be both.
  3. WOW! We are getting in some fabulous flashes for Wildcard Wednesday. In case you missed it, WCW is a monthly fiction improv, and this month’s is an audition for an upcoming short story anthology from Full Quiver Publishing. It’ll take 10 minutes to write, maybe 5 to post/link, and you could get discovered. Oh, and the linkup doesn’t even close until September 6 at 1am. Q: What’s to lose? A: NOTHING!

And now I’m leaving you with my tall glass of cold, bubbly coffee.

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The “One For A Friend” Giveaway

One of the greatest compliments I’ve received (and, thankfully, keep receiving) on Don’t You Forget About Me is that it isn’t “preachy.”

“While I’m a fan of Catholic fiction, I’m not always impressed by the writing. Don’t You Forget About Me is a well-written, entertaining book that actually has some substance to it. ” -Review by Jay Calvin Nelson on Amazon

“Without being preachy or in-your-face about it, Cupp compares the difficulties and heartaches of being a fallen-away Catholic with the peace and joy that comes when one humbly and trustingly puts his life in God’s loving hands.”  –Review by Laura Pearl on Amazon

“Fans of Christian fiction will particularly enjoy the elements of faith that add to the richness of the story without hampering the plot.” –Review by Therese Heckenkamp on Amazon

“I found the religious elements well integrated into the story.”–Review by “ruthjoec” on Amazon

As I told Kate over at So Much To Say, So Little Time, I’m not a message writer.  I just want to tell you a story.  On the other hand, as I told Catholic Fiction, since I don’t go into a book with message in mind, I tend to discount the possibility that story can be used by God to share a message.  So here I am, embracing message even while I embrace the people who might not want to read it otherwise.

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Introducing the “One For A Friend” Don’t You Forget About Me Giveaway.  Here’s how it works.  

  1. Post a new review of Don’t You Forget About Me to Amazon between now and June 17, 2014.
  2. Comment below with a link to the review.  In your comment, include some (vague) info about a friend or family member (no names, please) who, like Cate Whelihan, is anything but a practicing Catholic–but who just might enjoy reading Cate’s story.  Example:  “I know someone who thinks I’m crazy that I joined RCIA, but she loves mysteries.” “I have this friend who thinks I’m crazy for not using contraception, but she’s a sucker for romantic suspense.”  Etc.
  3. On Wednesday, June 18, 2014, I’ll draw a commenter’s name from a hat.  I’ll send that commenter one paperback copy of DYFAM, inscribed to the friend you described in your initial comment.  (We’ll work out the details over email.)

Clear as mud?  I’m just putting my money where my New Evangelization mouth is.  Let me know below if you have any questions.

Another chance at free books!

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Sarah Reinhardt is too good to us.  No sooner is the CatholicMom.com giveaway done when everyone’s favorite Snoring Scholar goes and does it again.  This week’s giveaway is a double-trouble Full Quiver Publishing prize pack, including one paper copy of Stealing Jenny by Ellen Gable paired with a copy of Don’t You Forget About Me by YT.

What, you’re still here?  You see the banner!  Get over there and enter by Novmeber 22!

An Embarrassment of Links!

It’s been a busy week here on the Don’t You Forget About Me blog tour.

In other news, I think I’m kind of under spiritual attack since the book came out.  My asthma has been flaring off and on for weeks; I’ve had a parade of sick relatives, including kids; a parade of bad behavior (primarily kids); computer problems beyond my power to address; and now this:

I’ve taken the approach to all this that whenever another discomfort, inconvenience, annoyance, or (in the case of the asthma) threat to my life or ability to sleep comes my way, it’s because someone reading the book needs some kind of intercession.  So, if that’s been you, please rest assured that I’ve been offering it up for you, whoever you are.  I do hope it’s paid off for you!  I don’t suffer as gracefully as I wish I did.