Great Summer Reads

Let’s talk summer! There’s nothing I like better than to sit under a tree on a warm summer’s day and read a story that will sweep me away. Full Quiver Publishing books make ideal summer reads!!

1. The Lion’s Heart
The Lion’s Heart by Dena Hunt is currently available on Kindle and in softcover. With the recent decision by the Supreme Court of the US that legalizes same sex marriage, this book is even more relevant and encompasses the Catholic Church’s teachings on this topic. Of The Lion’s Heart, Joseph Pearce, well-known Catholic author, says, “Dena Hunt is a consummate storyteller who does not shirk or shy away from the difficult questions about life and love that her story raises. The Lion’s Heart contains not only the loves of lovers, spouses, parents, and children but also the demons and dragons that selfishness unleashes. The Lion’s Heart is not for the faint-hearted, nor is it for the hard-hearted. It pulsates with a passion that will bring true hearts to their knees.”

2. In Name Only (O’Donovan Family)
In Name Only is the first in the O’Donovan Family series (although both this and its sequel can be read independently of the other). It has been downloaded over 160,000 times on Kindle and won the Gold medal in Religious Fiction at the 2010 IPPY Awards. Check out the novel website and the profile page on Amazon.

3. A Subtle Grace (O’Donovan Family)
A Subtle Grace is my newest book and is available both on Kindle and in paperback. In her review, Trisha Niermeyer Potter, blogger at Prints of Grace, says this:
“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.”

4. Stealing Jenny
This is my biggest seller and most popular book as evidenced by the over 530 reviews on Amazon (and the six months it spent as a #1 bestseller on Kindle with over 280,000 downloads). It’s a quick and easy read. Check out the novel website here and the Amazon profile page here.

5. Don’t You Forget About Me by Erin McCole Cupp
Funny, quirky and great writing! Also referred to as a Theology of the Body mystery! Check out the novel website here and the Amazon page here.

6. Angela’s Song by AnnMarie Creedon
A beautiful Theology of the Body romance with over 200 reviews on Amazon!

7. A World Such as Heaven Intended
A World Such as Heaven Intended by Amanda Lauer is an ideal beach read! It is available on Kindle and in print.

8. Emily’s Hope
My first book is based on the true stories of myself and my great-grandmother. Check out the novel website here to read an excerpt and reviews.

There are two other non-fiction FQP books: Growing Up in God’s Image: A New Approach to the Facts of Life Talk and Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship.

7QT – Book on #Sale, Lent Movies & Other Cool Things!

Please join me and other Catholic bloggers at This Ain’t the Lyceum for 7 Quick Takes Friday!

1. Angela’s Song Only .99!!
Angela’s Song by AnnMarie Creedon is only .99 until tomorrow! Head on over to Amazon to pick up your Kindle copy for only .99!

2. Catholic Writers Guild
I’m over at the Catholic Writers Guild blog today speaking about the importance of being needed.

3. Ecce Ancilla Domini
My post in honor of the Feast of the Annunciation two days ago and on the importance of saying yes to God’s will sparked a lot of comments.

Image copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach Please do not use without permission

4. Do You Believe
Have you seen the new faith-based movie, Do You Believe, yet? It’s from the same producers and writers of “God’s Not Dead.” I thoroughly enjoyed it.

5. The Passion of the Christ
Our family watches this movie every year, on Good Friday, when we return home from the Good Friday service. Powerful, hard-to-watch movie.

6. Reading Shelf
A Catholic Gardener’s Spiritual Almanac by Margaret Rose Realy.

7. Kidding Cartoon

image copyright 2011 James & Ellen Hrkach Please do not use without permission

Copyright 2015 Ellen Gable Hrkach

NFP Week: Theology of the Body Fiction

One of my favorite ways to promote the Theology of the Body is to recommend novels with a great TOB message. My publishing company publishes novels with Theology of the Body themes.

Want to learn more about the Theology of the Body? Interested in promoting it? Read and recommend one of these books! This list is not all-inclusive:

Emily’s Hope (Ellen Gable)

In Name Only (O’Donovan Family Book 1) (Ellen Gable)

Stealing Jenny (Ellen Gable)

Passport (Christopher Blunt)

Angela’s Song (AnnMarie Creedon)

Don’t You Forget About Me (Erin McCole Cupp)

A Subtle Grace (O’Donovan Family Book 2)(Ellen Gable)

The Lion’s Heart (Dena Hunt)

Do you have any favorite TOB novels to add? Please feel free to comment below!

Copyright 2013 Ellen Gable Hrkach

7 Quick Takes Friday – Taking a Breather – Great Summer Reads!

This has been a crazy week, so 7QT will be a reprint from last month!! I’m joining up with other bloggers at Conversion Diary.

I spent the bulk of yesterday afternoon at the Ottawa Train station as the “model” for a photo shoot. I’m not at liberty to say why, but I can say that the photographer was enthusiastic and proactive! (Thank you, Tim!) It was peculiar being the “subject” of the photo shoot, although I think the photographer got some unique shots! I haven’t had that many photos taken of me since I got married 32 years ago. The station manager was also very kind, accompanying us and keeping track of time (I gave her a copy of my newest book. Thank you, Karine!!)

Let’s talk summer! There’s nothing I like better than to sit under a tree on a warm summer’s day and read a story that will sweep me away. Full Quiver Publishing books make ideal summer reads!!

1. The Lion’s Heart Print Edition
The Lion’s Heart, FQP’s newest novel by Dena Hunt is currently available on Kindle and now available in softcover. Of The Lion’s Heart, Joseph Pearce, well-known Catholic author, says, “Dena Hunt is a consummate storyteller who does not shirk or shy away from the difficult questions about life and love that her story raises. The Lion’s Heart contains not only the loves of lovers, spouses, parents, and children but also the demons and dragons that selfishness unleashes. The Lion’s Heart is not for the faint-hearted, nor is it for the hard-hearted. It pulsates with a passion that will bring true hearts to their knees.”

2. In Name Only (O’Donovan Family)
In Name Only is the first in the O’Donovan Family series (although both this and its sequel can be read independently of the other). It has been downloaded over 100,000 times on Kindle and won the Gold medal in Religious Fiction at the 2010 IPPY Awards. Check out the novel website and the profile page on Amazon.

3. A Subtle Grace (O’Donovan Family)
A Subtle Grace is my newest book and is available both on Kindle and in paperback. In her review, Trisha Niermeyer Potter, blogger at Prints of Grace, says this:
“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.”

4. Stealing Jenny
This is my biggest seller and most popular book as evidenced by the over 330 reviews on Amazon (and the six months it spent as a #1 bestseller on Kindle with over 200,000 downloads). It’s a quick and easy read. Check out the novel website here and the Amazon profile page here.

5. Don’t You Forget About Me by Erin McCole Cupp
Funny, quirky and great writing! Also referred to as a Theology of the Body mystery! Check out the novel website here and the Amazon page here.

6. Angela’s Song by AnnMarie Creedon
A beautiful Theology of the Body romance with over 200 reviews on Amazon!

7. Emily’s Hope
My first book is based on the true stories of myself and my great-grandmother. Check out the novel website here to read an excerpt and reviews.

There are two other FQP books: Growing Up in God’s Image: A New Approach to the Facts of Life Talk and Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship.

7 Quick Takes Friday – FQP Edition (Huge Giveaway!!)

TGIF!!! Friday means I’m participating in 7 Quick Takes with other Catholic bloggers, but this week it’s over at Clan Donaldson. Head on over and take a look at the other posts!

Today is the Full Quiver Publishing edition, showcasing each of our books.

Last week, we released the Kindle edition of Erin McCole Cupp’s novel, Don’t You Forget About Me. With that release, Full Quiver now has seven titles under its logo. To celebrate, I’m giving away a FQP prize package worth over $100!!! (If you want to win ALL of the print editions of these books, read below and comment before November 1st!! Even if you already have some of these, they would all make great Christmas gifts!!)

1. Angela’s Song by AnnMarie Creedon
Angela ‘Jel’ Cooke is a widow and mother of three who stays busy so as not to have to face the fact that her marriage was damaged and her husband, Devin, died before it could be repaired. Her good friends realize that no amount of home made lasagna, volunteering at church or late night games of Yahtzee can heal Angela from past regrets. When she meets Jack, the teacher of a class she is taking, he challenges her to face her demons. What follows is the poignant, yet often hilarious saga of how Angela overcomes her guilt and learns to love herself and others. Amazon Kindle Bestseller. Angela’s Song is available on Kindle or in Paperback.

2. Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship by Ellen Gable and Kathy Cassanto
This compilation contains 12 courtship/dating stories which will inspire, captivate and entertain readers. Some of the stories include: a widow with eight children meets a widower with six children; a man asks his live-in girlfriend “what if we stopped having sex,” and is greeted with tears of joy; an atheist falls in love with her Catholic Prince Charming; a woman prays to God for a husband and years later finds herself falling in love with a seminarian; a sailor prays a novena to marry the right girl. Come My Beloved is available on Kindle or in Paperback.

3. Don’t You Forget About Me by Erin McCole Cupp
Mary Catherine Whelihan made it out of Walkerville alive once before. Can she pull it off this time?
Bullies, sexual harassment, finding a corpse in the local creek…. Cate’s childhood in 1980s Walkerville was murder! So what could possibly tempt her to return? A cryptic email from Eugene Marcasian, MD, her grade school crush, might do the trick. Can Cate and Gene find the cause of the mysterious illness afflicting nearly all of the girls in their graduating class, including Cate herself? Or will corporate bullies continue to take down anyone who gets in their way? More importantly, can Cate stay alive long enough to get one more slice of tomato pie? Don’t You Forget About Me is available on Kindle and is also available in paperback (although official release date is November 1st).

4. Emily’s Hope by Ellen Gable
Emily’s Hope is the gripping story of one young woman’s physical, emotional, spiritual journey from high school to adulthood. Interspersed throughout the story are flashbacks to Emily’s great-grandmother’s troubled life, with a climax culminating in the surprising revelation that Emily and her great-grandmother are connected more deeply than by ancestral ties alone. Based on a true story. Emily’s Hope is available on Kindle and in Paperback.

5. Growing Up in God’s Image by Carolyn Smith
Growing Up in God’s Image makes it easy for families to approach the topic of sexuality — mom to daughter, father to son, parent to child — especially for that first big talk on the facts of life. This book is about the beauty of growing up as a young woman or a young man. For teens, it provides positive answers through an understanding of sexuality as God intended from the moment He created it and when He later gave it to us as a sacrament through Jesus. For young and old couples alike, it gives a new appreciation of their own sacramental marriages. Growing Up In God’s Image is available on Kindle and in Paperback.

6. In Name Only by Ellen Gable
1896 Philadelphia: Caroline Martin’s life has finally taken a turn for the better. After years of hard work, she has met a virtuous and wealthy man whose love seems to promise the kind of life realized only within the comforting novels she keeps on her night table. Tragedy, however, will teach Caroline of the complexity with which God Himself authors the lives of those who turn towards Him. Gold Medal Winner in Religious Fiction, 2010 IPPY Awards. Amazon Kindle #1 Bestseller Religious Drama, February, March 2012. In Name Only is available on Kindle and in paperback.

7. Stealing Jenny by Ellen Gable
Mentally unstable infertile woman kidnaps pregnant mother of six. Amazon Kindle #1 Bestseller Religious Drama February 2012, June and July, 2012. Amazon Kindle Top 20 Bestseller since November, 2011 with over 200,000 downloads. Stealing Jenny is available on Kindle and in Paperback.

This HUGE Giveaway is for ONE FREE PRINT COPY of each of these books (7 BOOKS IN TOTAL)!! To enter, answer the question below before Friday November 1st.

What is your favorite Full Quiver book? If you haven’t read any of these books, tell me which book you are most looking forward to reading!! Make sure you comment before Friday, November 1st!! Good luck!! (NORTH AMERICAN READERS ONLY…Sorry!!!)

All Six of Full Quiver’s Books on Bestsellers’ Lists!

For the first time ever, all SIX of my company’s books (including my four) are on at least one Kindle bestseller list simultaneously!

In Name Only (Ellen Gable) #2 RL Drama

Stealing Jenny (Ellen Gable) #8 RL Drama

Angela’s Song (AnnMarie Creedon) #11 RL Drama

Emily’s Hope (Gable) #14 RL Drama

Growing Up in God’s Image (Carolyn J. Smith) #14 Parent Participation

Come My Beloved (Ellen Gable, Kathy Cassanto) #82 Catholicism

7 Quick Takes Friday – October 12

Please join me and other Catholic bloggers at Jen’s Conversion Diary for 7 Quick Takes Friday.

1. Angela’s Song ReleasedThis past Sunday, The Feast of the Holy Rosary, Angela’s Song by AnnMarie Creedon was released. This is the first novel my publishing company has released that is not written by me. I have been working closely with the author (as editor and publisher) for the past year or so. Within one day of its release, it hit #3 on Amazon’s Religious & Liturgical Category. Within five days, it has received 10 five-star reviews! To celebrate, I will be giving away one print copy and one Kindle copy of this book. Please leave a comment below before Friday, October 19th. To purchase Angela’s Song, click here.

2. Growing Up in God’s Image
Growing Up in God’s Image by Carolyn Smith, continues to sell well on Amazon and has been on two different bestsellers’ lists there. I’ve been working with Carolyn for two years as editor and publisher.

3. Read the Catechism!
In this Year of Faith, Pope Benedict has encouraged us to learn more about our Catholic Faith through reading the Catechism. Here is a great link that will send you excerpts every day throughout the year.

4. Autumn Beauty

5. SCSS Conference
At the end of this month, I’ll be attending the Society of Catholic Social Scientists’ 20th Annual Conference which will be held just outside New York City. If you’re in the Greater New York area, please consider attending. I’ll be speaking at the conference and also participating as a vendor. For more information, click here.

6. Books on My Review Shelf
The following books are on my book review shelf. Look for my reviews in the upcoming weeks:
Fallen Men – Brian O’Hare
The Wrong Enemy – Jane Lebak

7. Classic Cartoon “Flock”

cartoon copyright James & Ellen Hrkach/Full Quiver Publishing

Text and images copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach