My fifth book, A Subtle Grace, is currently #1 in five different categories on Amazon!!
Christian Historical Romance
Christian Historical Fiction
Religious Historical Fiction
Christian Romance
Victorian Historical Romance
Monthly Archives: January 2015
7QT Friday – Book Sale, Book News Etc.
It’s been a while since I’ve participated in 7QT! But I’m back and there’s a new host, Kelly at Ain’t the Lyceum.
1. A Subtle Grace on SALE for ONLY .99!
My fifth book, A Subtle Grace, Kindle Edition is on sale on only .99 until February 7th!! It’s the stand alone sequel to my second book, In Name Only. To read reviews and an excerpt, click here.
2. Great Article on Contraception’s “Cascading Rampage”
Excellent article on Contraception’s Cascading Rampage over at The Catholic Thing by a long-time psychiatrist, Dr. Rick Fitzgibbons. Check it out!
3. Instagram!
I just joined Instagram! Here’s my profile link: http://instagram.com/ellengable/ This was my first posted photo:
4. From the Hub to the Heart, New Book by Andrew LaVallee
I’ve been working with new author Andrew LaVallee as his editor and book consultant. His book, based on his conversion story, is entitled “From the Hub to the Heart” and is available right now on pre-order from Kindle. Andy also promotes fasting through his non-profit organization Live the Fast. Check his book out here.
5. Julia’s Gifts Update
My work in progress is called Julia’s Gifts. It’s a World War 1 Historical Romance Novella. Earlier this week, I was without internet access and took the opportunity to spend two days working on it. It’s set to be released later this year (if I can get my act together) and it’s about an American Medical Aid worker named Julia Murphy.
6. Reading Shelf
Veiled Warriors: Allied Nurses of the First World War
7. Officially Married Cartoon
Copyright James and Ellen Hrkach PLEASE DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION
A Subtle Grace (Kindle Edition) Only .99!!
For the next ten days, the stand alone sequel to my second book, In Name Only, A Subtle Grace (Kindle edition) will be on sale for only .99!!
Of A Subtle Grace, Trisha Niermeyer Potter of Prints of Grace Blog said, “This is one of my favorite contemporary works of Catholic fiction. The storytelling is masterful, the characters fascinating, and the writing is of high literary quality. People are imperfect—past, present, and future—but each is given the opportunity to grow, change, learn, and be redeemed. In this story it’s shown how the greatest mistake of our lives can be turned into one of the most amazing blessings and even be a source of hope for others. Life’s messy. People are complex. We’ve all got some skeletons in our closets, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t also fit some trophies and triumphs in there as well. A Subtle Grace has all of the elements that good Catholic fiction should.”
In her review, Jean Heimann, Catholic author and blogger, wrote that “In A Subtle Grace, Gable shows us through her characters, what happens when an individual lives his/her life based on principles rather than on passions. She clearly conveys the differences between love as a feeling vs. love as a choice, illustrating the consequences of each. Themes of redemption, forgiveness, discerning one’s vocation, healing, hope, and joy, all contribute to make this a story that tugs at the heart. A sequel to In Name Only, A Subtle Grace works well as an independent, stand-alone novel. You will definitely want to read both. A Subtle Grace is excellent read for historical romance fans. Those who enjoy Christian romance and suspense novels will find this story particularly enjoyable. This is a winner!”
Therese Heckenkamp, award-winning author of Frozen Footprints says, “A Subtle Grace is the sequel to the lovely book In Name Only, yet A Subtle Grace can be enjoyed independently. Of course, readers of the first book won’t want to miss this one! The story kept me so interested that I hardly realized this was, in fact, a lengthy book. A Subtle Grace is a novel to stir your heart, your emotions, and your soul. I highly recommend it!”
Click here to read an excerpt and more reviews.
To download the book for only .99, click here.
Sunday Snippets – January 24
Photo copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach
Here are my posts:
The next one is an older article (from 2011), but it’s been getting a few hits recently since I mentioned it in my Catholic Writers Guild blog post last week:
Difficult Anniversaries – Responsible Parenthood
GIVEAWAY!! Also check out Erika Marie’s blog, One Simple Mama. She posted an interview with me earlier today. As well, I’m sponsoring a giveaway of A Subtle Grace at her blog! Click on this link to enter!
If The Morning
Since the March for Life is being held today in Washington, I wanted to share the words of the pro-life song my husband wrote as a teenager. It’s called “If the Morning,” and these lyrics are also included in my novel, Emily’s Hope:
If in the morning the Savior didn’t rise
Would there be sunshine in your eyes
And in the springtime if the world wasn’t new
Would love still see its way through
And do we stand only to lose it all
By standing just a little too tall
Save the baby, save the baby
Because I know he’s got the right
I know he’s got that right
Save the baby, save the baby
Because I know He’s got it right
And I know that we have got it wrong
And if the dreamer never woke to tell his tale
Would hope be born still by our hands
And if the baby never sees the light of day
Will nightmares conquer all man
And do we stand only to lose it all
By standing just a little too tall.
Save the baby, save the baby
Because I know he’s got the right
I know he’s got that right
Save the baby, save the baby
Because I know He’s got it right
And I know that we have got it wrong.
And if the baby never saw the light of day, of day, of day…
Lyrics copyright 1978 James Hrkach
Photo copyright 2011 Josh Hrkach
Feast of St. Agnes
Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr. I knew little of this saint until I read about her during research for my novel, A Subtle Grace. I have dedicated my book to her.
It’s no surprise that St. Agnes’ feast day is so close to the U.S. March for Life. Agnes’ name in Greek means “chaste, pure or sacred,” and in Latin, it means “lamb.” She is the patron saint of young girls, chastity, engaged couples, rape victims (and others). In past centuries, young girls would recite the prayer/poem to St. Agnes on the Eve of the feast day (today) in the hopes that they would dream of their future husband.
The following is a link to an excerpt of A Subtle Grace which includes the prayer/poem to St. Agnes:
St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us!
Sunday Snippets – January 17
Photo copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach
It was a slow week for blogging, although I did manage two posts about Catholic fiction.
A Subtle Grace Reviews – special thanks to the four bloggers who agreed to read and review my book!
Fatal Rhythm Book Review
Check out the other bloggers’ posts at RAnn’s Place!
Fatal Rhythm – R. B. O’Gorman
Check out this medical thriller by fellow Catholic Writers Guild member, R. B. O’Gorman!
From the synopsis: In the pre-dawn hours of the graveyard shift, the ICU at the Houston Heart Institute is quiet, and quietly patients are dying. Surgery resident Joe Morales dreams of becoming a rich heart doctor. First, he must survive his assignment to an ICU rife with land mines–unexplained patient deaths, rival faculty, fellow resident saboteurs, a cost-slashing administrator, a ruthless insurance executive, a seductive head nurse, a jealous wife, a critically ill son, an overprotective mother, and an orderly distraught over his daughter’s death. To salvage the career he thought he wanted, Joe must determine the cause of the suspicious deaths. In the process, he’s forced to re-examine the ethnic and religious heritage that he had rejected.
I thoroughly enjoyed Fatal Rhythm, the new medical thriller by R. B. O’Gorman. Believable characters, an exciting plot and a mystery that had me turning the pages quickly toward the end. Very believable scenario. O’Gorman’s medical background made this an authentic, believable story. His writing style is polished, his characters well-developed and the plot kept me guessing until the last few pages. Highly recommend.
Fatal Rhythm is available in paperback or on Kindle.
Recent Reviews of A Subtle Grace
Special thanks to the following bloggers who took the time to read my newest book and post a review! Excerpts are below, but I encourage you to go to each reviewer’s blog and read the entire reviews.
Elizabeth at Super Swell Times posted this review:
“Ms. Gable has a knack for setting the scene. You can tell that she has meticulously researched the time period in which the book is set. Everything from the way priests interacted with parishioners to the way old guns operate, A Subtle Grace‘s setting in the later 1890s is vibrant and interesting. One of my favorite aspects of A Subtle Grace is the fact that Ms. Gable took the time to craft story lines for all her characters — not just the ones central to the romance. Beyond Kathleen and Luke, we get the opportunity to check in with Caroline and David as well as learn more about Will, John and various other folks.”
Amelia at One Catholic Mama, posted this review.
“A Subtle Grace starts out with a riveting birthing scene. I always love a good birthing scene in books and this one does not disappoint. So that right there grabbed my attention and drew me into the story….I found this book to be rather engaging and hard to put down. The characters are charming (if just a little too perfect at times….well except for the wicked one, who is just a bit too wicked) and rather likeable. I found myself wishing that I could actually meet these people, or at least be more like them.”
Tiffany at Life of a Catholic Librarian posted this review:
“I really, really enjoyed this book. I’ve been thinking about it since I finished, which is always quite telling. To be clear, I review a lot of Catholic Young Adult fiction on this blog, and this book is NOT part of that genre. This is adult fiction, as several plot twists involve things not suitable for a young audience. Aforementioned plot twists are quite compelling, however, and I was reading along at a rapid clip, anxious to see what would happen and how the (very dastardly!) villain would be vanquished. No spoilers here though! You’ll have to go read to find out what I’m alluding to.”
Erika Marie at Simple Mama posted this review in her review:
“I was so impressed with how Gable wove all the Catholic traditions and historical culture into the story. She presents the story with a delicate, but enthralling, style. I felt quite comfortable lending it to our high-school-aged babysitter and plan on keeping it around for our daughter to enjoy in a few years. My only complaint about the book was that it was so engrossing that I couldn’t put it down! I’d stay up way too late just to see how the plot would unravel. It was wonderful, actually! It was like gooey fudgy warm brownies for my book-loving-heart.”
Again, THANK YOU to these Catholic bloggers for reading my book and writing a review. I really do appreciate it!
If you are a Catholic blogger and would like a print or Kindle copy of A Subtle Grace, email me: fullquiverpublishing(at)gmail.com and I will send you a review copy!
Sunday Snippets – January 10
Photo copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach
I’ve been so busy these past few months that I haven’t been connecting with either 7QT or Sunday Snippets. I’m hoping to get back into the swing of things this month. I’ve missed connecting with these wonderful Catholic bloggers!
Here are my posts for the week:
Plot Line and Sinker (Ellen Gable, Author) 