This month, the Catholic Writers’ Guild is touring Guildie Carolyn Astfalk’s book, STAY WITH ME. It is a CWG Seal of approval winner.

Teaser:

With the counsel of their friend Father John, can Rebecca and Chris overcome every obstacle and bridge the deepening gulf between them and her dad? Or will a crucial lapse in judgment and its repercussion end their relationship? 

Stay with Me front cover

Summary:

With her sister Abby’s encouragement, Rebecca has moved out of their overbearing father’s home. When a chance encounter with Chris ends with an invitation, Rebecca says yes. The authentic way Chris lives his life attracts Rebecca and garners her affection. 


Chris loves Rebecca and her innocence, but he’s confounded by the emotional scars she bears from her parents and an attempted assault. Her father’s disdain for Chris’s faith and career only make matters worse. 

With the counsel of their friend Father John, can Rebecca and Chris overcome every obstacle and bridge the deepening gulf between them and her dad? Or will a crucial lapse in judgment and its repercussion end their relationship? 

Special Considerations:

Stay With Me is always free with Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime.

Web site:

http://www.carolynastfalk.com/carolyn-astfalk-author/books/stay-with-me/

Excerpt:

Chris drove them to the battlefield. His knowledge of its topography and history impressed Rebecca. No matter how many times she’d been there, she’d get all balled up not knowing which way to the Peach Orchard, Devil’s Den, or anything else. The narrow, one-way lanes always made her feel like a rat in a maze. Chris knew every entrance and exit, where the major monuments were located, which roads went

which directions, and where you could find a quiet spot away from all the tourists. That’s where he took her. They sat in the high grass beneath a smallish monument topped by an eagle, frozen in its majesty, and spent the next two hours mending their hearts.

The late summer moon loomed large and orange over the horizon. Wisps of smoky clouds floated above and beneath the giant, luminous orb. Crickets and katydids hummed and

chirped from the thickets and trees, their chorus lending a soothing undercurrent to the heartfelt whispers and professions that passed between them like a zephyr snaking a path through the wild grasses and sedges.

Rebecca plucked a long blade of grass from the hard earth and slid her fingers up its length. The sharp edge caught the tender skin of her fingertip, and it bled. She pressed her finger to her lips, and the pain subsided. She didn’t think she’d ever forget the aching, bone-deep hurt she’d felt since she’d walked out on Chris. In some ways, she didn’t want to. He was a precious gift to her, and she never wanted to take him for granted.

She had feared that even if they reconciled, that hurt would never fully heal; it would fester beneath the surface. But when they climbed back onto his bike and she wrapped her arms around his waist, she realized the fissure was already being soothed and filled, that love was spilling into all the brittle cracks and crevices that the pain had etched. Love really did cover all offenses. It was okay. They would be okay.

Bio:

Carolyn Astfalk lives in Hershey, Pennsylvania where the scent on the morning breeze carries either chocolate or manure depending on wind direction and atmospheric conditions.

A Pittsburgh native, Carolyn carries her Yinzer card with pride, having interned at Pittsburgh’s iconic TV and radio stations KDKA and WDVE. She is a graduate of Duquesne University, where she majored in Latin and Broadcast Journalism.

A cradle Catholic, Carolyn was raised mainly at church basement rummage sales and other parish-sponsored events. She worked her way up to “pup girl” at weekly Bingo and even served as a parish organist for several years. Having reached the apex of parish ministry, she moved to the state capital to advance her churchy career.

Carolyn served as communications director and registered lobbyist for the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference for a decade, advocating for religious liberty; prolife, pro-family issues, Catholic education, and healthcare, among others.

Since then, she has been a stay-at-home mom to her four children. Most days she can be found changing diapers, wiping up spills, folding laundry, and tapping furiously on her laptop.

Carolyn is a member of the Catholic Writers Guild, Pennwriters, the Pennsylvania Public Relations Society, and 10 Minute Novelists. She blogs at My Scribbler’s Heart.

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Stay-Me-Carolyn-Astfalk-ebook/dp/B015GAH77M/

Tweet:

Can love set you free? 5-star Theology of the Body romance Stay With Me @CMAstfalk bit.ly/staywithmenovel #inspyromance #Catholicfiction

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Michael Fraley has been editing and posting the CWG Book Blast since 2016. He's adapted the Arthurian portion of Geoffrey of Monmouth's “Histories of the Kings of Britain” to the comic page, has worked in book illustration, graphic design, and has also served as a newspaper columnist. In 2019 the story of his conversion to Catholicism was told in Nancy Ward's book Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story. His primary area of study is in the Jewish roots of the Church, with an emphasis on the Gospel of Matthew and the Epistle of James. He holds a MA in theology from St. Joseph's College of Maine and a BFA in fine art from Indiana University. He can be reached at michael@michaelfraley.com