A Quick Reminder

I just thought I'd post a little reminder today about the Easter discount that was offered to you, dear readers, by the faith-filled folks at The Nativity Stones Collection--because there's only one week left to use it.  When you place your order, you can use the coupon code FAITH15, and you will receive a 15% discount.

Nativity Stones Crosses are beautifully made.  Each piece contains a bit of stone taken from the Cave of the Nativity in Bethelem and comes with a certificate of authenticity.  These inspirational necklaces are not only beautiful to look at--they carry rare and precious souvenirs from the very birthplace of Jesus.

I just love the dazzling Classic Nativity Stones Cross that I received from the company as a gift.  It is an ornate beauty layered in 18K gold and hanging from a 22" chain.

If you decide to get one of these unique crosses for yourself (or someone you love), I don't think you'll be disappointed!

I was so excited a few days ago when I got a Facebook message from an old high school classmate (one I haven't seen in many years) who happened to visit my blog and ended up ordering a Nativity Stones Cross as a First Holy Communion present for his niece.  It meant that this little old blog of mine was able to lead at least one new customer to a website I am proud to promote.

Here's wishing you peace and joy as you prepare to celebrate the Risen Christ next Sunday.  God bless you!

7QTF: Marketing Books, Reading Books, and Blogging about It All

Okay, I'm a day late and I don't even know how many dollars short.  But I decided to join the 7QTF party this week.  My husband is leaving for a 3-day trip today, so what better way to fill the lonely hours than by connecting with all of my blogging friends?

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Speaking of blogging friends, one of my favorites--Iris, from Country Girl's Daybook, just nominated me for a liebster award.  I've been liebstered once before, and I think I've given my readers more information about myself than they'd ever want or need to hear; but Iris has come up with some interesting questions, so...I'm in.  Thank you, Iris, for thinking of me.  I plan to start tackling your questions early next week, and then I'll come up with some of my own and choose some other blogging friends to send them to.

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I was very generously gifted a Classic Nativity Stones Cross a few weeks ago.  This gorgeous cross, layered in 18K gold and hanging from a gleaming 22" chain, contains a small stone that was extracted from the Cave of the Nativity in Bethlehem.  As in, the birthplace of Our Lord.  Truly.

The Nativity Stones Collection was even honored with a plaque in the Vatican in 2000, so you can be sure that the stones used in these stunning and beautifully crafted pieces of jewelry are authentic.  And right now, you can get one of these amazing crosses at a reduced price, because the people at Nativity Stones are offering a 15% Easter discount to readers of this blog.   Just use the coupon code FAITH15 when you place your order, and the discount will be applied.

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The parents of my middle son's bride, Preciosa, are currently visiting Cuba (where Preciosa's father was born).  While there, they have been snapping photos of good-natured Cuban citizens "reading" my Catholic novel Finding Grace.

I could not have hired a more hard-working or enthusiastic marketing team, I'll tell you--that is, if I had the funds to hire one.  I just wish I could have given them a copy that was translated into Spanish. 

 

Speaking of the book, I recently gave away 7 copies on my blog, and the winners were announced on Monday.  I plan to do another giveaway this summer (because I think Finding Grace would be a good choice for inspirational summer reading for teens and young adults--and maybe even a good beach read for their moms, too).

 

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Let me use this Take to apologize--for using this blog so often (lately, almost daily!) as a forum to talk about my book.  I really must give you guys (or all y'all, for any readers south of the Mason-Dixon line) a break from the constant promotion/marketing.  You might not believe this, but it's hard for me to keep bringing it up.  I'd much rather hide away in a corner and hope Finding Grace will just go out and sell itself.  Unfortunately for this dyed-in-the-wool introvert, it doesn't work that way.  But perhaps I need to try another tack: you know, legwork, actual face-to-face sales pitches, and the like, instead of the much safer route of writing emails that don't get answered and blog posts that very few people will ever even see! 

 

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While we're talking about books (one of my favorite subjects), I am currently reading The Book Thief, and I think it's just amazing.  I saw the movie with my husband and then decided that I absolutely had to read the original prose version that had inspired the screen version (which is very powerful and touching).  Well, I'll tell you this: Markus Zusak's writing is so incredible and profound that it makes me re-read passages, simply to experience again the sheer enjoyment I get from his brilliant usage of the English language--to marvel over how he takes simple words and arranges them in such a way that they astound me.  He is brilliant, there is no other word for it.  A wordsmith like no other.

 

For instance, in one scene, Hans Junior, who has joined the Nazi party and is now a true believer, is fighting with Hans Senior, who has refused to get on board; the son says to his father, "You coward," and then leaves the house in anger.  Here's how Zusak describes what happens next: "Ignoring futility, Papa...rushed the gate and ran pleadingly after him.  Mama hurried to the window, ripped away the [Nazi] flag, and opened up.  She, Trudy, and Liesel all crowded together, watching a father catch up to his son and grab hold of him, begging him to stop.  They could hear nothing, but the manner in which Hans Junior shrugged loose was loud enough.  The sight of Papa watching him walk away roared at them from up the street."  A roaring that can't be heard; what a description.  Later, when Liesel goes to watch the Nazi book-burning celebration in her neighborhood, where an enormous pile of "dangerous" books is going to be turned into an epic bonfire, Zusak says, "Although something inside told her this was a crime--after all, her three books were the most precious items she owned--she was compelled to see the thing lit.  She couldn't help it.  I guess humans like to watch a little destruction.  Sand castles, houses of cards, that's where they begin.  Their great skill is their capacity to escalate."  Chills, right?

 

In the author interview in the back of the book, Zusak says that he thinks there can be a gem on every page of a book.  He explains, "It's what I love about writing--that words can be used in a way that's like a child playing in a sandpit, rearranging things, swapping them around."  And this guy can really swap them around like nobody's business.  In my opinion, there is at least one gem (something that deserves a re-read) on every page of The Book Thief--at least so far.  My friend Iris (see Take #1) was not a fan of the fact that Death is the narrator of this novel; but I think it works.  I'm not finished yet, so I won't say more.  Besides, I think this book may show up in a future What We're Reading Wednesday post over at Housewifespice (a blog you should be reading if you aren't already!), so I'll save any further thoughts for that.

 

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#5 was way too long, so...

 

PASS.

 

(And now I'm plagiarizing writers I admire, because some of the humorous bloggers I know have said this in past 7QTF posts.)

 

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Now I'm going to link you up to a wonderful blog called Footprints on My Heart.  Sarah Therese has a beautiful thing going on over there, wherein she invites blogging friends to write guest posts (published on Saturdays) about their favorite saints.  If you love to read about the lives of the saints, or if you're just interested in learning more about some of our Heavenly helpers, stop by and check out her "Our Friends, the Saints" series.

 

Thanks to Sarah Therese and all of my other talented and inspiring blogging friends out there, in all different corners of the Internet.  You provide me with inspiration, entertainment, enlightenment, and laughter on a daily basis.

 

Okay, readers, time to head on over to 7QTF at  Jen's (where there's always plenty of all that good stuff I just mentioned).

What I Wore Sunday (Again!): My Nativity Stones Cross

What I wore to Mass today is something I've worn before, and I first showed it to you in my last WIWS post: it's a beautiful cross, layered in 18K gold, with a piece of stone that came from the Cave of the Nativity in Bethlehem (the birthplace of Christ!) in the center.  Last time, I wore it with a liturgically correct purple knit dress from Coldwater Creek.  Today, I wore it with a purple Ralph Lauren sweater, which was a Christmas 2012 gift from my #4 son's new bride, Braveheart.  (I modeled this sweater in a WIWS post a while back, and one youthful commenter "loooved" it, with its unusual horizontal cable-knit.  Even gave it "props."  So thanks for keeping me up to fashion speed, Braveheart!)

If you would like to have a cross as beautiful and meaningful as this one, this is the perfect time to visit the Natvity Stones Collection website.  As a special Easter gesture, they are offering readers of String of Pearls a 15% discount.  Just use the coupon code FAITH15 if you'd like to take advantage of this wonderful offer.

I feel extraordinarily blessed to have received this Classic Nativity Stones Cross from the generous people at Nativity Stones, and I'd like to do the best I can to get the word out about the wonderful work they are doing to share these precious relics with as many believers as possible.

(And don't forget the "Finding Grace in Lent" giveaway: if you leave me a comment before midnight tomorrow, March 24, your name will go in the hat, and you could win one of 7 copies of my Catholic novel Finding Grace.)

Now if you'd like to see what other "Sunday best" fashions were on display this week, head on over to Fine Linen and Purple.

What I Wore Sunday: A Nativity Stones Cross

I haven't been participating in the What I Wore Sunday fashion party very much lately, because I feel like I've shared most of my Sunday best outfits with you already.  But yesterday I wore something very special to Mass, something that is so much more than just a pretty accessory, and I thought I'd show it to you (and let you know how you can get one for yourself--at a discount, no less--if you're interested).

With my liturgically correct purple dress (Coldwater Creek), which I've had for years, and lilac-colored chapel veil (Veils by Lily), which was a Christmas gift from my husband, on this second Sunday of Lent I wore a golden cross that has a Nativity Stone inside its center.

That's right, this cross holds a tiny stone that was part of the Manger Room of the Cave of the Nativity in Bethlehem.  This cross that I wore about my neck contains a stone that was a silent witness to the birth of Our Lord! I am humbled to own something with such incredible historical and religious significance, and I am also awed by the beauty of the ornately lovely piece of jewelry that was created to display it.

My deepest thanks to the people at The Nativity Stones Collection, who contacted me recently, after finding me through this blog, and offered to send me a Classic Nativity Stones Cross (one of the many beautiful designs offered by their company).  Their only request was that if I liked it and felt it was something I would be willing to share with my readers, I would write a blog post about it.  Well, dear readers, to say that I like it is quite the understatement.  I absolutely love it!  Layered in 18K gold, it is both an inspiring sacramental and an extraordinarily beautiful piece of jewelry--and I will be proud to wear it myself and spread the word about the company that created it to others.



The Classic Nativity Cross, which is about 1 and 3/4" long, and hangs from a thick 22" chain. 
Isn't it stunning?  (There is a petite version of this design,
which would be perfect for your favorite First Communicant.)

I was thrilled, after returning Saturday from a week-long stay at my oldest son's home in CO, to see that I had already received my gift from Nativity Stones in the mail, just a week or so after their first contact with me.  When I opened the package and saw the box inside, I was struck by the beauty of both the glorious cross itself and the lovely way it was packaged.

Inside the box, I found a certificate of authenticity stating that my Nativity Stone was truly taken from the Cave of the Nativity, the actual birthplace of Jesus Christ, and that the Nativity Stones excavated in 1963 are the only stones that were ever authorized to be removed from that sacred place.  It also states that in 2000, the Nativity Stones were honored with a plaque in the Vatican, further validating their authenticity.

You might be wondering why anyone would authorize the removal of even one stone from the sacred birthplace of Our Lord.  Apparently, an amateur archaeologist named Stanley Slotkin was vising the Cave of the Nativity in 1963 and noticed that a portion of the inside wall was being removed.  He learned that this one-time excavation was being done for the purpose of making another exit for the thousands of pilgrims who visit the site.  Slotkin asked the Mayor of Bethlehem if he could have the stones from the excavation, and the Mayor agreed and had them sent to the United States.  Initially, Slotkin gave away many crosses containing bits of Nativity Stones to various charities and terminally ill patients, as a way of spreading faith in Jesus; then more recently, his family decided to make them available to a wider audience through Nativity Stones jewelry.  These precious pieces are rare and limited in number, and they are sure to become heirlooms in your family.

What touched me most, when I received the first email from a representative of the Nativity Stones company, was this sentence: "We also sell in different retail stores, but we always try and reach more believers."  I am truly humbled that my blog was considered a way to do this; and any company that is more interested in reaching the faithful and spreading devotion to Jesus than in making money is quite all right by me!

If you are interested in giving a Nativity Stones Cross to a loved one (or to yourself!) as an Easter present, the company has graciously offered readers of String of Pearls a special Easter discount.  If you use the coupon code FAITH15, you will be able to purchase these unique and beautiful symbols of our Catholic Faith at 15% off the regular retail prices.

So go visit this wonderful site, and take advantage of this special Easter offer by using the coupon code FAITH15.  When your Nativity Stones Cross comes in the mail, I am absolutely sure that you will love it and wear it with joy.

(Before I sign off: while we're on the subject of business ventures that are focused on reaching--and making--believers, and on spreading the Truth of our Faith, I wanted to remind you about the "Finding Grace in Lent" giveaway: I'm giving away 7 signed copies of my novel Finding Grace, a recipient of the prestigious Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval.  Leave me a comment on any post through March 24, and you will be entered to win.)

Now head on over to the link-up, for more Sunday fashions that'll inspire you.