Giveaway Winner (and Claddaghs on the Brain)!

Okay, as promised, I'm announcing the winner of the giveaway here at String of Pearls this morning.  When you hear who it is, you're going to think the contest was fixed, but I give you my word of honor that I chose the winning slip of paper with my eyes closed (and a prayer that I would choose the person who needed the book the most).  The winner is my Aussie blogging friend Erin, from Seven Little Australians and Counting.

Yes, the winner of a signed copy of Erin's Ring is named Erin.  That.  Just.  Happened.

Actually, I think Erin is the perfect choice, not just because of the book's title.  I'm also tickled that she won because she told me that so far, Erin's Ring is not easily available in the Land Down Under.  (For those of you who might have tried to order it on Amazon in the US and saw "temporarily out of stock" on the order form, I don't think it will take too long to receive your copy.  I have already been told by two friends that the books they ordered on-line have arrived.)

So that's one reason I'm glad the slip of paper I pulled out of the hat had Erin's name on it.  The other is that she is a homeschooling mother of ten (you read that right, TEN), and I've seen photos of her impressive home library on her blog.  I know this book will find a good home with her, and it will have a chance to be read by many young eager readers.

So Erin, I'll get that copy out to you as soon as I can.  (I'm going to have to look through my archives for your address--unless you want to just send it to me again.)

If you didn't win this contest, readers, there are three other signed copies out there, just waiting to be sent out to three lucky winners.  I'm hosting a giveaway at Goodreads--and if you enter before midnight on December 15, one of those winners could be you.

Aside from the Goodreads giveaway, my publisher Cheryl Dickow has a special Christmas offer going on: a "Mother-Daughter Package," available over at Bezalel Books (Erin's Ring and Cheryl's Elizabeth, a Holy Land Pilgrimmage, $17.99 with free shipping).  Award-winning author Nancy Carabio Belanger blogged about Erin's Ring and this amazing Bezalel offer here.  And if you'd like to order that set, click here.

I've kind of had Claddaghs on the brain lately.  I've always loved the look of Irish Claddagh rings and the symbolism behind the hands, crown, and heart: Friendship, Loyalty, Love.  I fell in love with this sort of meaningful Irish ring back in the spring of 1979, when I was a junior in college and my then-boyfriend brought me a gold one from Dublin, where he'd gone on a trip with the Notre Dame rugby team.  We'd been dating since the summer of 1973, and this was the first serious piece of jewelry he'd ever given me.  I put it on the ring finger of my left hand and couldn't stop looking at it!

This is the original box.  Over the past 35 years, the ring has developed several
cracks that I had to have fixed; but otherwise, it's the original as well.

My Claddagh was not technically an engagement ring, but it could have been--because at that point, we were sure we were going to get married after college.  (We were officially engaged--although without another ring--the following December, during our senior year, and then got married one year after that.)

I do love Claddaghs, and when the story for Erin's Ring started to form in my head, one of the first things I decided was that my young heroine would find an old-looking gold Claddagh ring poking up out of the dirt in a garden next to her parish church, right in front of a statue of Mary.  She would become intrigued by it, convinced by the engraving inside the band--"To Erin--Love, Michael"--that this ring must have an epic, romantic story to tell.  Erin's ring would in turn inspire her to explore the archives of the public library for clues, and in the process she and her best friend would learn all about the Irish immigrants who played a huge role in their small New Hampshire town's history.  (The story is set in Dover, NH, and there is a lot of true Dover history in this book.)  I wasn't even sure at first why the ring had ended up in the garden or how tragic I wanted its owner's story to be; but I let the characters lead me and eventually, it all came together.  In the last few pages, the mystery is solved...but I'm not going to tell you any more--you'll just have to read it!

Since finishing this novel, I seem to be obsessed with the Claddagh image.  Just recently, I typed the word "Claddagh" in a search box on the Etsy home page (a dangerous place to go, I assure you!), and I found this beauty.  It's a wall cross made out of balsa wood.  Look at that intricate scrollwork!  For $15, I thought it was a steal.

And it looks great on my wall of wedding pictures (a wall that's getting mighty crowded these days, now that four of our five boys are married!).

Well, I hope if you read Erin's Ring, you'll have Claddaghs on the brain, too!  (And don't forget about that Goodreads giveaway!)

Mary's Day, Mary's Children (A Wedding Story)

Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and it's also the one-month anniversary of the wedding of son #2 and his bride Ginger.  I have been meaning to sit down and devote a couple of hours to writing a nice, long post about the glorious day that these two kids got married, filled with delightful pictures of the event; but I've just been having trouble lately remembering that I'm NOT, in fact, a chicken with my head cut off.  And also remembering how sweet the readers of this blog are--and how interested they are in all the news that concerns our growing family.  Activities such as baking coffee cakes and sugar cookies, painting doors, and scouring the attic for our boys' old toys and bringing them downstairs for our granddaughters, all in anticipation of having my entire family with us this Christmas--all of that stuff can wait until after I share these wedding deets with you.

I think this feast day in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a perfect day to talk about a young couple who began their courtship with a 54-day Rosary novena to Her, in order to discern God's plan for their relationship.  I blogged about this before, when I told you their engagement story; but I think it's worth a quick re-tell today.  My boy and his new wife met a year ago yesterday, at the wedding of my middle son and his Preciosa.  She was a bridesmaid and he was a groomsman; and although they talked a little, they never got around to hitting the dance floor together.  My son told me afterward that on the entire 12-hour drive back from VA to NH, he was kicking himself for not spending more time with her.  So the first thing he did when he got home was to send her a Facebook friend request.  (As wonderfully old-fashioned as this couple is in all the right ways, they ARE, after all, 21st-century creatures.)  Once they became FB friends, texts flew back and forth, followed by epic phone calls, followed by visits via air travel...and when it seemed as if they were headed in a very serious direction, they decide to say the novena.  God was a part of the equation from the get-go, and they appealed to His Mother for Her intercession.  Due to the long-distance nature of their relationship, they had to say many of their Rosaries together over the phone.  When the 54 days were up, it seemed that God's answer was something like, "You two really need to be together, and I think you know that."

Within six months of meeting, they were engaged.

And just one year (actually, less than a year!) after being members of the wedding party at the wedding of her college friend and his younger brother, they became man and wife.

It's a beautiful story, isn't it?

And they had a beautiful wedding day to go along with that story.

To begin with, the Mass was very holy and reverent.  The couple recited their vows while holding a crucifix that they bought especially for that purpose, and which they plan to hang in their house for the rest of their days together on this earth.  The music was so incredibly lovely--in fact, the same team that sang and played for the wedding Mass of son #3 and Preciosa a year ago was employed once more.  (Ginger and Preciosa have been friends for more than a decade, and the singer is the younger sister of one of their mutual best friends.)  The litany of the saints, a favorite of mine, made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.  It was like being in the company of the angels.  The priest who married them is young and extremely likeable--and as someone pointed out, bears an uncanny resemblance to Brian Kilmeade of Fox TV's "Fox and Friends" morning show!

Ginger picked out something quite different for her attendants to wear than the run-of-the-mill prom-style gown.  She had striped skirts made on Etsy, and then her bridesmaids wore black twinsets with them, accessorized with multi-strand pearl necklaces given to them by the bride.  I LOVED this classy, unexpected look.  Two of the bridesmaids had given birth recently and two were pregnant, so it was challenging coming up with an ensemble that would suit all the various body types; but look at these pictures!  I'd say the outfit flatters every single one of these beautiful young women!  It's like the preppy look meets Audrey Hepburn, or something like that.  (Work with me here!)

Okay, I better stop with the bridesmaid pictures, or this is going to turn into a fashion post!  (But don't you love this look?!)

What about the guys--you didn't think I forgot about them, did you?  Here is a clever shot of the gray-suited groomsmen that I didn't understand at first.

You'd think after raising five sons, I'd know a superhero-themed stunt when I saw one...but I didn't.  It was explained to me that son #2 was pretending to hit the ground, Thor-style, and that the force of his superhero strength made the earth explode and sent all the other guys flying into the air.  How did I not know this right away?  It's so obvious to me now.  I love this picture, because it illustrates a quality in the male of the species that I love so much: a man, no matter how old he gets, will always have a bit of little boy in him.

I'll bet you're smiling, aren't you?  Okay then, on to the reception!

We were thrilled that the party was held in the same Marriott hotel where all the out-of-town guests had reserved their rooms, so it was an easy walk back "home" after the festivities.

The ballroom was decadently beautiful.  The food, served buffet-style, was decadently tasty and plentiful.  The air was filled with the sound of non-stop dance tunes (provided by a father-son DJ duo the bride has known since high school), and the dance floor was packed from the minute dinner ended until the lights went on at the end of the night.  I don't think there was anything about that wedding reception that could have been improved upon.  One of the best things about it was that there were so many CHILDREN in attendance, which is the hallmark of any Pearl wedding--and our son married into a family that is very like-minded!

I got to dance my third mother-son dance in the span of eleven months, and I started to get a little weepy.  But then my son and I decided to do a little swing dancing to lighten things up.

My husband loves watching me dance with my sons.

That's him back there next to the bride, holding his little dance partner Bonny Babe.

I could go on and on here; but I think I'm going to let some pictures do the talking for me.

No wedding reception would be complete without "YMCA"--am I right?

Or my baby's "Thriller" routine.

Cutie Pie was either on my lap or on the dance floor
with me, all night (we were like peas and carrots!),
 until it was time for a sitter to put her to bed.

My husband was sporting his wedding must-have: shamrock suspenders!

Ginger was a spectacularly beautiful bride.



My son likes to say he "married up."  But I'd say they both did quite all right indeed!

Mary, these children of Yours came to You for help when they were in the process of discerning whether or not they should be joined together for life.  You helped them to see that God's answer to their prayers was a resounding "YES!"  Please continue to watch over and guide them.

But I don't have to tell you that.  You're their Mother, after all.

(P.S.: Today's the last day to enter to win a signed copy of Erin's Ring.  Just leave me a comment before midnight tonight, and your name goes into the hat!)



A Lot Can Sure Happen in a Year!

One year ago today, our middle son married his Preciosa.  It was an extraordinarily beautiful day, and the start of an extraordinarily beautiful life.

These two kids are perfect for each other, in every possible way.  Both have happy dispositions.  They are both the type of people who make friends easily and love to plan fun outings.  They are both passionate about college football (and live in a house divided, with Preciosa rooting for her beloved Seminoles, while son #3 wonders what ever happened to the luck of the Irish!).  They are fiercely devoted to whomever and whatever they love...and more than anything, they love each other.

I'm so proud of these two young newlyweds, who found each other on CatholicMatch.com--because out there in the post-college world they just weren't meeting the kind of people with whom they felt they could share their futures.  They were looking for faith-filled mates who shared their love of the Catholic Church and its teachings, and who would take seriously the sacramental aspect of marriage.  And what's especially refreshing in this day and age is that they wanted to put themselves 100% in God's hands, knowing that He alone is the perfect "family planner" and would send them children when they were ready.  Well...

Less than two months after they recited their wedding vows, they got the joyful news that their first child was on the way.  And this absolutely adorable little guy was their reward for their trust in God's will for their marriage.

Is that not THEE cutest face you've ever seen?  (Tied with three other faces, actually--said this proud Grammy.)  He often seems to be the spitting image of his dear old dad at that age; but other times, we can see his mommy in that expressive little face.  He's part dad, part mom--but he's ALL G-Man!  And like all of God's creations, he is utterly one-of-a-kind.

A lot can sure happen in a year's time, can't it?

Happy anniversary to my sweet boy and his sweet girl.  You have made a beautiful start on what I pray is a long and happy life together, and I couldn't love you more or be more proud of you. 

(Now kiss that little boy's cheeks for me, and tell him Grammy can't wait to see him in a few weeks!)

Advent Activities (and a Giveaway Reminder)

I love Advent. 

I get excited when it's time to pull out our oversized Advent wreath each year, and to light a new candle each Sunday--something my hubby and I used to do with our boys, but which we now do together (unless he's off on a trip to somewhere else when he'd rather be home with his favorite girl; then I have to do it alone).  It sits atop a coffee table that's 36 inches by 36 inches, and it fills up most of the tabletop.  Go big or go home; that's what we always say.

I love this wreath.  We made it ourselves, many years ago.  My husband used his jigsaw to cut out a huge plywood "doughnut" shape, which I then painted green.  I glued lots of faux greenery to the wood, leaving room for four round glass discs--which I found on the cheap at Wal-Mart to hold the pillar candles, and glued onto the wood as well.  We ordered our large 7-day-burning candles, which we keep lit throughout the week, from a Catholic church supply company.  A few years ago, I added a straw-filled "manger" and Baby Jesus to the center of the wreath.

We love to pass by the darkened living room at night and see those Advent candles glowing, a constant reminder of the true reason for the season.

I finally got the tree all decorated--which is a massive feat, if you know how many ornaments I have!  There are more ornaments per square inch on that 9-and-1/2-foot artificial tree than the law allows.  (I actually ran a "guess how many ornaments I have" contest here at String of Pearls in 2013, and I gave away a hand-painted Santa ornament as a prize.  The number then was 439.  And it's grown.)

 

Not to be outdone by Mrs. Excessive, my husband (a.k.a., "Clark Griswold") has increased the number of lights on the tree.  When we succumbed to the ease of an artificial tree a while back, after years of going to a local Christmas tree farm with our sons to cut down our own, it came with 1,000 white lights on it.  When partial strands started to go out, we painstakingly removed all the attached lights and added our own.  This year, there are 2,500 lights on there (a combination of white and colored), and it looks magical.

I have acquired two new daughters-in-law since last Christmas, so I needed two more stockings.  I was all set to go out and buy them, but then I remembered my stash of lovely fabrics and laces, which I found in my dear late mother-in-law's attic (a treasure-filled place--piled to the rafters with material and other notions--that could have been a satellite store for JoAnn's Fabrics.  And that's not an exaggeration!).  I was pleased that I had some lengths of cranberry-colored velveteen, as well as a half-dozen linen and lace napkins that are way too beautiful to let my family wipe their gravy-stained mouths on them at holiday dinners.  So I used the lace parts of two of the napkins to embellish a pair of identical stockings, one for son #4's bride Braveheart and one for son #2's bride Ginger

Both stockings are lined with off-white satin, remnants from the three dresses I made for the older flower girls in Ginger's wedding party.  So there's all kinds of nostalgia sewn into these stockings, which makes them that much better in my book.  I just have to write my new daughters' names on them, above the intricate cutwork, with fabric paint.  (I KNOW, professional embroidery would be so much classier...but there's nothing like that homemade touch, right?)

Well, I have to go...because I'm in the middle of a big project--some gifts I've been working on for my boys.  I can't show you yet; some of them actually read this blog, so that might ruin the whole surprise.  But I'll show you after Christmas.  :O   (That's my excited face.)

Before I go, don't forget to leave me a comment, for a chance to win a signed copy of Erin's Ring.  (If you want to learn more about this Catholic YA novel, click on the image of the book's cover there on the sidebar.)  I'm taking comments until midnight on December 8, and I'll announce the winner on the 9th.

Happy Advent to you and yours!

A Visit from Santa?



My boxes of books arrived Monday!  

Why, 'tis me books, that it is!  Faith 'n begorrah!

I love you, UPS man!  Your big brown truck looked like Santa's sleigh to me, it truly did!  And those three cardboard boxes you dropped off might as well have been covered in shiny paper and tied up with ribbon! 

Woo hoo--Erin's Ring is now in print and available for sale!  (Wow, I've used a lot of exclamation points in this post, haven't I?  Can you tell I'm pumped?)


Right now, Erin's Ring is on back order at Amazon, but hopefully that will change soon.  :)

In the meantime, you can read what my dear blogging "pen pal" Tiffany had to say about the book on her blog, Life of a Catholic Librarian.  Tiffany has been a loyal friend, always supporting my work.  (Her review of Finding Grace was so sweet, thoughtful, and generous.)  I love it that her endorsement of ER appears on the back cover of the book.  How fitting!  There is a dear Catholic librarian who plays a vital role in the story--so who better to have associated with it than Tiffany, who is a Catholic librarian IRL?

Don't forget that there's a giveaway over at Goodreads.  Enter before December 15 and you could win one of 3 signed paperback copies.  Or you could just leave me a comment before December 8, because I'm giving away one copy here at String of Pearls, too.

(This is a very link-filled post.  If you find that annoying, my apologies!)

Twinsies

You probably figured that this post was going to be about my identical twin granddaughters (now three-and-a-half).  But I tricked you, it's not.  It's about my #2 son and me.

My second-born has always had a strong resemblance to his dear old mom.  Back in July of 2013 I blogged about it here at String of Pearls, and I showed you this side-by-side photo comparison.  Kind of eerie, isn't it?

I used to dress my two oldest boys like twins, as you can see.
(How do you like the athletic shorts & dress shirt combo?)
But this little guy looked more like me than his older brother!

We could indeed be twins here.  Put my chin-length, sponge roller-curled hair on him, and he's pretty much me; or cut my locks off, and I'm pretty much him.  Am I right?

Well, that smooth-faced little boy grew up, and the resemblance between us seemed to be a thing of the past.  For instance, today he sports varying amounts of facial hair (which I don't, thank goodness...YET, anyway!).  His soft boy face has morphed into a rugged man face.  I'm a shrinking Grammy with fragile bones, and he's a big, strong ex-offensive lineman.  How could we possibly still look alike? 

Well, check out this mother-son picture from his November 2014 wedding.

I'd say the resemblance is still going strong, wouldn't you?  Take some hair off his face, and put a lot more on his head (and I mean A LOT, because I'd had the volume pumped way up on mine, thanks to a salon treatment that was gifted to me by my new daughter-in-law), and he's pretty much me again.  Can you see it?

While you're at it, notice that we even dressed up in a similar shade of gray. Awww...and we didn't even plan that.

I used to think it would be interesting, after Bonny Babe and Cutie Pie get a little bit older, to ask what it's like to look at another person's face and feel like you're looking in a mirror.  Never mind.  I think I know!

Book News

I'm very excited, because a big box filled with copies of Erin's Ring is supposed to arrive today!  I can hardly wait to hold the actual finished book in my hand.  I have this copy, a print-out of the final galley...

...but it's not the same thing!  I'm dying to hold the real deal in my hands, and to see that beautiful cover my publisher, Cheryl Dickow, created--using an illustration that so perfectly brings to life a favorite scene of mine from the story that it's positively uncanny!

I've heard that those who've ordered already from Amazon have been informed that it's on back order, but hopefully they won't have to wait too long before they receive their copies.  And I've also been asked by several would-be readers if the book will have a Kindle version.  The answer to that is yes, but not right away.  For now, the publisher and I have decided to go "old school" (my favorite way to go in most things!) and offer Erin's Ring in paperback form only.  But all you hip, modern eBookers out there can rest assured that eventually, there will be a version you can read on your Kindle or iPad.  (Is the term "hip" still in use?  Or is it completely un-hip to say "hip"?)

I have been so blessed by this book already, because several Catholic authors were kind enough to read it in pre-publication manuscript form and then endorse it--among them Nancy Carabio Belanger (author of Olivia and the Little Way, Olivia's Gift, and The Gate).  Nancy also recently wrote a blog post about a special Christmas offer from Bezalel Books that includes my new book, and here's a link to Nancy's post: http://nancybelanger.blogspot.com/2014/11/a-christmas-mother-daughter-special.html.  (Thanks so much, Nancy!  I will never be able to repay you for your help and support--not to mention your enthusiasm!)

Readers, you've probably heard of Nancy, whose wonderful works of YA fiction are popular with Catholic schools and homeschools. What thrills and humbles me is that she believes Erin's Ring is also the type of book that would enhance school curricula. It is part historical fiction, part modern YA lit, and it is filled with a deep love for the Faith.  If you are a Catholic educator or homeschooler, it might fit perfectly into your reading, history, or religion syllabus.

My husband and I have ordered extra copies (which are supposed to arrive today, in that big box I mentioned!  Woo hoo!).  If you'd like a signed paperback copy, I can offer them here at the blog for a limited time, for $12 a copy--and that includes shipping and handling.  Just contact me via email (There's an "Email me" button on the side bar on the right side of this page), and I can get your order processed.

Before I go, don't forget about the Christmas giveaway here at String of Pearls.  Just leave me a comment before December 8, and you could be the winner of a signed copy of Erin's Ring.

Now I'll just sit here and wait for a big brown truck to rumble down my driveway, carrying that special box...