As Ellen Gable launched the O’Donovan family series, she proved her skill as a devious plot-weaver, maintaining relentless suspense throughout this romance novel. Her attention to the details of daily life recreated the beauty and ugliness of the Philadelphia suburbs, circa 1876. Her festive tour of the Centennial Exposition shared […]
The Sisters of the Last Straw: The Case of the Haunted Chapel, by Karen Kelly Boyce
Rejection, unrealistic expectations and behavioral issues often brought frowns to the faces of children. The Sisters of the Last Straw addressed these issues, firmly and lovingly; inspiring and consoling their young readers with their examples. The Case of the Haunted Chapel, in stories and drawings assured that there […]
A Subtle Grace, by Ellen Gable
Kathleen O’Donovan gazed out her bedroom window, wondering if at the ripe old age of nineteen, she was doomed to spinsterhood, but soon she found herself the center of attraction, not all of it welcome. A Subtle Grace (O’Donovan Family #2) set in the late 1890s, is much […]
A Hero for the People, by Arthur Powers
Arthur Powers’ experiences while living in Brazil seep into his short stories such the descriptions of brightly painted shacks, savvy street vendors and shady samba schools in the big city slums or the night-time, pick-up truck ride through the swishing tall grass of the backlands, to the accompaniment […]
The End: Sweet Words for an Author, Sweet Experience for a Reader
The end. Two of the most satisfying words a writer can tap onto a keyboard. We’ve all dreamed of typing those six letters, and many of us have been fortunate enough to have achieved that particular success. In my past few posts, we’ve discussed beginnings and middles. Let’s talk about […]
Sisters of the Last Straw: The Case of the Missing Novice, by Karen Kelly Boyce
A caricature can reveal more truth than a photograph. The Sisters of the Last Straw, reminiscent of the antics of Don Camillo in the stories by Giovannino Guareschi (1908-68), were in fact human. Thank God. Each had her own “fault,” be it a temper, an obsession or an addiction. […]
From the President’s Desk – March 28
I’m going to avoid talking about the lengthy, brutal winter that most of us are still experiencing to tell you about my new book, A Subtle Grace. It’s the sequel to my second novel, In Name Only, and continues the story of the wealthy and unconventional O’Donovan Family in the […]
Books, and Toned Middles
Last month, I talked about beginnings and how important they are to drawing the reader in to your book. It seems appropriate to continue on to story middles today. Middles ought to be pretty simple. After all, it’s the stuff that happens between the beginning and the end. Many authors, however, struggle […]
Discovering Flannery O’Connor, by Anne Faye
Flannery O’Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1925 and died at the age of thirty-nine after suffering from lupus for fourteen years. In between, she wrote two novels, thirty-one short stories, and numerous essays and reviews. Her work is widely held up as an example of what Catholic fiction […]
From the President’s Desk – February 28, 2014
You don’t have to live in Canada to have experienced a brutal winter this year with record breaking amounts of snow and bitterly cold temperatures across the North, Midwest, South and East. Some experts say that it’s the result of the Polar Vortex. Whatever it is, I am sure of […]