Theology of the Body Fiction – #NFPAwarenessWeek

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.

St. Agnes,Virgin and Martyr

January 20, 2016 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

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:

Excerpt from A Subtle Grace

St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us!

A Subtle Grace FREE on Kindle

November 16, 2015 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

For the next three days, the stand alone sequel to my second book,A Subtle Grace (Kindle edition) will be FREE until Wednesday!!

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. A Subtle Grace has all of the elements that good Catholic fiction should.”

Click here to read an excerpt and more reviews.

To download the book for FREE click here.

My Relatives Are My Biggest Fans

July 15, 2015 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

Great Summer Reads

July 10, 2015 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

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.

Sunday Snippets – January 24

January 24, 2015 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

Photo copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach

Please join me and other Catholic bloggers at RAnn’s Place for Sunday Snippets, where we share posts from the previous week.

Here are my posts:

Feast of St. Agnes

If the Morning

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!

Feast of St. Agnes

January 20, 2015 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

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.

The following is a link to an excerpt of A Subtle Grace which includes the prayer/poem to St. Agnes:

Excerpt from A Subtle Grace

St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us!

Recent Reviews for A Subtle Grace

July 29, 2014 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

Special thanks to Jamie Anne Bentz and Jeannie Ewing (Love Alone Creates) for these wonderful reviews of A Subtle Grace:

Review from Jamie Anne Bentz:
“A Subtle Grace,” a stand-alone sequel to “In Name Only,” offers a compelling read that is the perfect assortment of romance and suspense. The characters that Gable brings to life complement each other with their own nuances, and this proves entertaining and interesting.

Without disclosing too many plot details, I can say that Gable deals with important themes—themes that are challenging to write about—in a manner that is as frank as it is delicate. This period romance is a tribute to true love, perseverance, faith, and healing. While Gable effortlessly transports her readers into the brink of the twentieth century, she keeps the story relevant to our times.

Another “treat” that Gable gives us is the introduction of another ruthless, merciless antagonist. As she proved in “Stealing Jenny,” she writes “love-to-hate” characters well.

A great and highly recommended read!

Excerpt of Review by Jeannie Ewing:
Ellen Gable’s sequel to In Name Only, appropriately titled A Subtle Grace, is refreshingly beautiful and bold in a world in which Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility meets modern-day Downton Abbey. Set in late nineteenth century Philadelphia, the reader immediately delves into an epoch of romance, the stark reality and contrast between good and evil (in the days before relativism became the norm), and the ethereal realm of horse-drawn carriages, puffed sleeves with matching hats and gloves, and high society living.

As one who prefers non-fiction to fiction, I was pleased to be captivated by Gable’s impeccable development of the O’Donovan family, despite the fact that I had not read the prequel to A Subtle Grace. In Gable’s literary creativity, she immediately draws the reader into a sweet fondness for the O’Donovans, a wealthy (and devout) Catholic family who model the virtues of charity and humility with an ease that reminds the rest of the world what the faces of corporal and spiritual works of mercy appeared to be in ages past.

What is A Subtle Grace? It is the quiet beckoning that each of us receives from our Lord, the gentle persuasion we encounter at the dawn of each new day and season of our lives. A Subtle Grace is redemptive, healing, transformative, and life-giving. It is the joy each of us has the potential to unlock, despite life’s circumstances and challenges. A Subtle Grace is a heartfelt, pure novel rife with the raw pain reflective of humanity, and it is certainly a timeless tale that will withstand cultural changes and philosophical ideologies.

Because of this, it is a story of the heart that is certain to reach man, woman, adolescent, those in any vocation and in any stage of his or her personal odyssey. It traverses with the person, nudging his or her conscience to discover something new about oneself and to desire personal reform; what a beautiful gift we have in Gable’s storytelling and in A Subtle Grace.

To read Jeannie’s review in its entirety, click here.

A Subtle Grace Kindle Edition

A Subtle Grace Print Edition, Create Space (For a limited time only, to get $5 off the retail price, use code: AVHCBEW8 at checkout)

To buy on Amazon:
A Subtle Grace Print Edition on Amazon

NFP Week: Theology of the Body Fiction

July 23, 2014 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

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.