THE BEST PRESENT EVER: A SINNER'S GUIDE TO THE HOLY LAND
Clear Faith Publishing.
Order here.
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Catholic Mom
Excellent online source of Catholic-themed articles and information.
New Zealand Catholic
The major Catholic newspaper in New Zealand (scroll to page 15).
The Irish Echo
The oldest Irish newspaper in the U.S.
THE BEST PRESENT EVER transports readers to one of the most fascinating places in the world and reveals some of the most cherished shrines in all of Christianity, not through the eyes of a scripture-quoting pastor or history-gushing travel writer, but an everyman Catholic struggling to stop being so judgmental and be more like Jesus. Laced with humor, purposefully non-preachy (the epigraphs that introduce each chapter have been chosen for their literary quality, not to proselytize the Catholic faith), and infused with admiration for the inner beauty and strength of women, readers feel the narrator’s restlessness, share in his struggles and joys, relax in his poetic sensibility, and walk in his shoes, as he slowly becomes part of the group.
Over 11 days in late-February/early-March, readers experience the unexpected beauty of Israel, the ubiquitous hawkers and noise, a pre-dawn reenactment of the Way of the Cross, a night-time lovers tiptoe across the rooftops of Old Jerusalem, an authentic Catholic confession, and the narrator’s impromptu afternoon odyssey through the poverty-stricken Arab district of Jerusalem, where, searching for a way to move beyond the anger he still feels about 9/11, he receives a gift he could never have imagined.
Written for believers and non-believers, Americans and non-Americans, men and women, young and old, this unique spiritual quest story is not just for Catholics, it’s for anyone searching for a more loving heart.
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THE PURPLE PIT
Currently seeking representation. A retro romcom/epistolary romance, THE PURPLE PIT is a 1980s answer to the age-old questions: What would you do for love? How far would you go?
– Hello. How’d you learn to dance like that?
– I watch a lot of Gidget.
The soul dancer is Reggie Muñoz, an asthmatic, 20-year-old, Mexican-American girl on vacation in London in 1986. The chancer talking to her on the dancefloor of the famous Electric Ballroom in Camden Town is Sean, a 24-year-old, local Irish boy interested in girls, football, music, and style – in any order. She deftly declines his offer of a drink four times in quick succession, but accepts on his final attempt, unwittingly lighting the fuse on a three-year transatlantic courtship filled with laughter, love, heartache, and loss.
Spanning London, Seal Beach, Paris, and Lyon, THE PURPLE PIT will appeal to fans of 84, Charing Cross Road and Notting Hill, and to readers who enjoy comedic, British boy-American girl love stories where music and faith are balm for distant lovers’ aching souls.
At 60,265 words, plus 129 pages of original handwritten letters, I’m excited for this to be my third published book and breakthrough novel.
THE PURPLE PIT
Currently seeking representation. A retro romcom/epistolary romance, THE PURPLE PIT is a 1980s answer to the age-old questions: What would you do for love? How far would you go?
– Hello. How’d you learn to dance like that?
– I watch a lot of Gidget.
The soul dancer is Reggie Muñoz, an asthmatic, 20-year-old, Mexican-American girl on vacation in London in 1986. The chancer talking to her on the dancefloor of the famous Electric Ballroom in Camden Town is Sean, a 24-year-old, local Irish boy interested in girls, football, music, and style – in any order. She deftly declines his offer of a drink four times in quick succession, but accepts on his final attempt, unwittingly lighting the fuse on a three-year transatlantic courtship filled with laughter, love, heartache, and loss.
Spanning London, Seal Beach, Paris, and Lyon, THE PURPLE PIT will appeal to fans of 84, Charing Cross Road and Notting Hill, and to readers who enjoy comedic, British boy-American girl love stories where music and faith are balm for distant lovers’ aching souls.
At 60,265 words, plus 129 pages of original handwritten letters, I’m excited for this to be my third published book and breakthrough novel.