Lenten Promise Leads to Award-Winning Devotional, Why God Matters

Lenten Promise Leads to Award-Winning Devotional, Why God Matters

Layton, UT; Pueblo, CO— In 1996, Karina Fabian, mother of toddlers, made a Lenten vow that launched her career as a writer.  Years later, it led her to share that joy of writing with her father, as they collaborated on an award-winning devotional, Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life.  This year, she hopes to share the joy of Lent through her book and the Why God Matters website.

Deacon Steve Lumbert and his daughter Karina Fabian share their stories of how God led them from casual belief to deep devotion, and offer tips and exercises to help you see God's hand--and take it.  Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life is published by Tribute Books and won the Christian Small Publisher Award for best book on Christian Living.  It has over 40 reviews from readers of many Christian faiths who recommend it not only as a book to read, but to go through slowly, doing the exercises to strengthen their relationship with God and to be more aware of His presence in her life.

This year, Fabian and Tribute Books are opening the Why God Matters website to faith stories by others, especially Lenten faith stories.  “I believe that Lent, and Lenten vows, can change lives,” Fabian said.  “I’d like to share that hope with others, and the best way is through sharing our stories.”

Fabian credits her 1996 vow with giving her life its direction.  She had always enjoyed writing, but it wasn’t until the Lent after leaving a career in the Air Force that she took it up professionally.  “I was home with the kids, and getting a little stir crazy as Lent was approaching.  I try to not only give up something for Lent, but to take up something to better serve God as well.  So that year, I decided to give up reading fiction and take up writing.”

By Easter, Fabian had a job with the Wyoming diocese newspaper, and freelanced for several parenting and local magazines.  She also wrote some slice-of-life stories, but seldom sent them out, and eventually moved more into writing fiction.  However, in 2009, when Tribute books was seeking someone to write a short devotional of personal stories, tips and quotes, she felt God calling.

“I was a little intimidated by the project though.  I felt something of this magnitude needed someone with a theological grounding, too.  Then I realized, my father is a deacon—and he is full of terrific stories.”

Deacon Steve Lumbert, who came to faith while Fabian was in college, had never written a book, but was excited to collaborate with his daughter.  Working on this book brought a new level to their relationship.

“God continues to bless me through that Lenten vow,” Fabian said.  “Not only will I cherish having worked with my father, but the book itself has touched so many lives.  People have written to us that it’s helped them understand their faith better , brought them closer to God, or touched them when they really needed it.  I hope this Lent, through the website, we can do this some more.”

Fabian is also willing to speak to book clubs and parishes through telephone or Skype.

* * *

Photos, interviews, and more information available on request or by visiting www.whygodmatters.com or www.fabianspace.com

Wrap up of Tour and Reviews for Why God Matters

Wow, what a great book tour! Steve Lumbert (aka Dad) and I not only had a lot of terrific opportunities to talk about our book, but we also had some great reviews and a few surprises.

First, the best surprise. One of the interviews got read by my cousin, Shelly, whom we'd lost track of decades ago! She found me on Facebook and contacted me last week. How cool is that?

We also had a few folks who said we answered some questions of faith or gave them inspiration to renewing their relationship with God. Talk about "mission accomplished!" I'm praying for all of you!

Finally, we got several awesome reviews. One thing I really enjoyed seeing was that readers of other faiths still found something of value in our book, even though it is geared toward a Catholic audience. I've always felt that God will reach to people of any belief (or even no belief). After all, we are His children, every one. I'm glad no one felt threatened by our stories of faith.

Here are some snippets of the reviews.

"...an easy to digest look into how God touches us daily... in many ways able to express what that type of faith can mean to an individual better than straight theology or dogma." Cheryl at The Book Connection http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-god-matters-by-karina-lumbert.html

"This is a short book which casts a long shadow in the literature of modern Catholic apologetics." Walt Staples, former president, Catholic Writers' Guild

"... a perfect dose of encouragement for those seeking a deeper relationship with God." SpiritualWoman.com

" Although Why God Matters has been written from the Catholic viewpoint, I think that everyone of Christian faith who has experienced God in their lives can learn something from reading this book." Susanne Drazic, http://susannedrazic.blogspot.com/2010/06/review-of-why-god-matters.html

"... very approachable and does its job well. You are reading about the authors, you are learning how to apply faith in your life and in the end you feel as if you have gained three friends." The NY Book Journal, http://thenybookjournal.com/2010/06/why-god-matters-how-to-recognize-him-in-daily-life/

"... the book explained the passion behind the faith. ... This is a very interesting read and will probably open up your eyes to something you didn't know about this interesting and historic faith." Marta Hoelscher, http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com/2010/06/blog-tour-and-review-why-god-matters.html

"Throughout this book, they also made no attempt to sway the reader toward sharing their beliefs. They are just very straight forward—'I love God and this is why.' ... What I did come away with was a better understanding of God and a deep desire to appreciate Him more every day. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to enrich their relationship with God." Lynn McMonigal, http://lynnmcmo.com/2010/06/17/review-of-why-god-matters/

"... if you are looking to get the most this book has to offer I think it would be best to only read a chapter at a time and fully reflect on the wisdom contained in each chapter, particularly the life lesson section. Approaching the book in this manner would only take a few minutes per chapter to read making it a book that even the busiest person would be able to squeeze into their schedule." Karen (for the Catholic Book Company), http://kareninmommyland.blogspot.com/2010/06/book-review-why-god-matters.html

"A short book, but it covers much.... not a book that should be read by only those of the Catholic faith, but instead by all who have experienced the touch of God in the everyday moments of life... Several times while reading, I stopped as a memory entered my mind of one of those everyday life lessons that have taken place in my life. I can say with all honesty that you will too. Six colors on the rainbow scale." Joyce Anthony, http://joyce-anthony.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-god-matters-review.html

"fun, engaging, quick, easy reading...but with a powerful message.... This inspirational little book is indeed a gem – it is a power-packed treasury of heartwarming stories, helpful spiritual lessons, and useful, practical suggestions to guide us in our daily lives." Jean Heinmann, http://catholicfire.blogspot.com/2010/06/book-review-why-god-matters.html

"The vignettes are what really bring this book to life.... This book is written from a Catholic viewpoint with a Catholic audience in mind. I think, though, that any Christian reader would enjoy and benefit from the insights it offers, which transcend sectarian borders." Fred Warren, http://frederation.wordpress.com/2010/06/05/book-review-why-god-matters-how-to-recognize-him-in-daily-life-by-karina-lumbert-fabian-and-deacon-steven-lumbert/

"Some (stories) will make you cry and others will make you laugh, still others will make you wonder if you own relationship with God is all that you want, but more importantly, if it's all that He would like it to be." Reading at the Beach, http://www.readingatthebeach.com/2010/06/why-god-matters.html

Thanks again to Dorothy Thompson at Pump Up Your Book Promotions and my publisher, Nicole Langan at Tribute Books for setting this up. You guys are tops!

Five Random Memories of My Dad and Me

In honor of the Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life book tour, I thought I'd share five memories I have of my dad and me. These are totally off the top of my head.

1. Dad saved me. I was about 11, I think. We were always building something at my house and that year, Dad was finishing the car port. I was climbing up the ladder to go help when the thing slipped right out from under me. I had no purchase, but faster than thought, my dad grabbed my wrist and pulled me up.
2. Dad's retirement party. My sister Gina and I wanted to do something special for him to commemorate his 30 years in the state patrol. Since we knew Dad's favorite stories of his years there, we satirized them into the Really Real Stories of the State Patrol. Gina's husband, Chuck, played Dad. Poor Dad was totally roasted and loved every minute.

3. "Shall I keep her?" My dad loved to say this about my mom: "Isn't she wonderful? Shall I keep her?" "I love your mom--shall I keep her?" We used to get annoyed about it, especially when that really demeaning commercial came out with the tag line, "My wife--think I'll keep her." (Was it for shampoo?) You could not deny how much they loved each other.

4. Their 40th wedding anniversary. My mom is from Puerto Rico, and when they married, she moved "to the mainland" and made her home in Colorado for most of their marriage. On their 40th wedding anniversary, she went ahead to Puerto Rico for a couple of months to plan the renewal of vows and reception and be with her sisters. She loved it. At the reception, Dad got on one knee, gave her a new ring, and said, "You gave me 40 years of living where I want to live. It's your turn." They're debating about moving back to Puerto Rico.

5. "Coo-Coo!" When I was about seven, my best friend Vicki Gross and I were getting very silly and making up really bad jokes that we'd run and tell my dad. We told him the following while he was shaving, "What time is it, old witch? Coo-coo time! Coo-coo time!" then we ran off to tell my mom. As we headed back to my room, My dad leaned out of the bathroom doorway, like a cuckoo bird, saying "Coo-coo! Coo-coo!" We about fell over laughing.

Learn more about my dad and me--specifically our journeys in faith--in Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life


Purchase from Tribute Books

OR

Five Questions No One Asked About Why God Matters

Purchase from Tribute Books

Preparing for the Why God Matters virtual book tour took about a month of answering questions. I'd guess about two hundred in all. Yet some questions didn't get asked, so I thought I'd share them with you today.

1. You didn't feel intimidated about offering "life lessons" on faith?

Yes and no. I've been a catechist (though not a good one, IMHO) and I've done a lot of advice-type stuff so I know what and how, but I'm always a little edgy about offering lessons on faith. That's one reason I wanted my dad to join me on this--as a deacon, he has the education and training I lack. It's also why I applied for the Catholic Writers' Guild Seal of Approval. My book was evaluated by writers who understand the Catholic faith, and they could point out troubles.

2. How'd the breakdown of tasks work with the actual writing of the book?

Tribute gave us the format and approximate word count. Dad and I each wrote seven stories and life lessons. Together we found Scripture and paragraphs from the Catechism of the Catholic Church to fit. Then I put the whole thing together to send to the editor at Tribute.

When it came to promotion, I've also been doing the bulk of that--this is my job, after all. Dad has provided a lot of photos and done some of the interviews.

3. What's a deacon really do?

If you ask my mom, too much! While we were writing Why God Matters, Dad was assisting at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish and running the deacon formation program for the diocese--both full-time jobs of themselves, really. He also does a lot of weddings and funerals and quinceneaneras. Since he speaks Spanish well, he gets asked to do a lot of bilingual ministry as well. He and my mom also do marriage preparation with couples.

This month, he's taking a new position--parish administrator for St Anne's Parish. He will basically do all the leadership work a parish priest would do and will assist in Masses when a priest is present and hold Communion services when a priest is not. He's done this before, and really enjoys it, but it's a lot of work.

4. Have your kids read this book?

Actually, not yet. This was one manuscript I did not read aloud, in part because we were so rushed with it and our lives were so busy at the time. Each one will get a copy once I get them. (At the time of this signing, they are being shipped.)

5. You wrote about your atheist son. Do you think this book will sway him?

I hope it will influence him, but I don't think it will change his mind. Right now, I can only keep him aware of the beauty and truth and love found in faith. I honestly think he has a long journey back to our Church. It grieves me, but I also know I can't force his choice. The story I wrote, however, reminds me that I have proof that it is possible, and that I should never give up hope.

Why God Matters Virtual Book Tour: Give Me Your Opinion!

Purchase from Tribute Books

The NY Book Review's review of Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life didn't come through as planned today. So, instead, how about you give my dad and me your opinions? (Good or bad, but be kind to my daddy--it's his first book!) Here's an excerpt; read it, post a review comment, and I'll do a drawing Monday for a copy of the e-book.

blessings,
Karina

Love in a Pot of Rice
Karina

You know well enough that our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them.
–St. Therese of Lisieux

One meal that always connects me to my heritage is arroz con pollo—chicken and rice. For me, this meal doesn’t so much represent an ethnic identity, it symbolizes the love and generosity of my family.

My mother is the seventh child of ten, born to a very poor family in Puerto Rico. They bought shoes only for the winter, shared two toys at Christmas (a game and a ball), and meat for dinner was a rare treat. Yet my grandfather, a schoolteacher, regularly brought home the students who lived too far away to walk home from school during the week, and they shared the family meal. My grandmother would say, “If I can feed ten, I can feed twelve.” When I cook arroz con pollo, I imagine her adding a cup of rice to stretch their meal, giving of their need rather than their wealth.

Many of my grandparents’ children escaped poverty, becoming doctors and social workers, businesspeople and spouses. However, they never lost their legacy of charity. When one is in need, the others are there. I remember when a hurricane took the roof off my grandparent’s house, where several grown children still lived. In Colorado, my mother combed the garage sales for linens and clothes to replace those ruined by the storm, and all contributed what funds they could to repair the roof. Years later, my grandmother died in that home, cared for by her children and grandchildren.

My own parents carried on that legacy, which, like my grandparents’, spread beyond family. Our friends were welcome in our homes, sometimes more than in their own homes. My parents called them their “love daughters” and supported them in their extra-curriculars, and on occasion, took them into our home. Several still call them “Mom and Dad.” When we did not have treasure, my parents gave of their time and talent. My dad made costumes for the school play; my mother was always crafting for someone. Mostly, though, they gave of their love.

When I’d given birth to my daughter, my mom came to visit for several weeks, and she met a pregnant friend who said she had only one craving: arroz con pollo. The next time we saw her, Mom had it ready.

As a mother myself, I must now carry on this legacy by setting an example for my children. Far wealthier than my parents or grandparents ever were, we do our best to give to the Church and to charities—and we involve our children in that. We also do our best to be available to their friends as well as to them. This year, I pack an extra lunch each day for Amber’s best friend. It’s a little thing, yet it connects me to my grandmother somehow.

Last night, I made arroz con pollo. It’s a different recipe, because I’m not the cook my mother is, yet it brought me back to my past, and my mother’s past, and to roots deeply embedded in charitable love.

Life Lesson

God calls us to be the first teachers to our children in living a life of faith, hope, and charity.

How did your parents teach you this? How are you teaching your own children? Spend some time in reflection and prayer today, then find something that ties you to that heritage—or inspires you to build a new heritage for your children.

**************************

So Help Me, God, I Didn’t Do It
Deacon Steve

Each of us is free to choose. Our decisions are important because they shape our life. Good choices take us in one direction, while bad choices can have devastating results. Morality is another word for living a good, full, decent life according to right choices. –Bishop Donald Wuerl

I can still hear the clang of the jail cell door as it closed behind me and my brothers in 1960. We were just teenagers, and I was terrified that it would never open again and that I would never get free. No matter how many times we told the sheriff we were innocent, he wouldn’t believe us.

The night before, someone had destroyed $4,000 of feed and seed by slashing the bags and pouring them down the elevator shaft. The real culprits had implicated us—and our reputations had sealed our guilt.

In the small town of Berthoud, population 1,200, everyone knew the Lumbert boys were trouble. We left burning sacks of doggie doo on random doorsteps. We moved the outhouse to the middle of Main Street. The night of the crime, we’d skipped Bible study to run around town. In fact, later that evening, we were hanging out with the real culprits, throwing water balloons at a state patrol car. We couldn’t resist temptation when it looked like it would be fun.

All day long, the deputies would grill me or one of my brothers, trying to get us to admit we were involved. We even tried demanding a lie detector test to prove our innocence! That was the longest day of my life. I spent a lot of time sitting on the jail cell bed—the only furniture in the room—thinking about what had gotten me into this mess.

That evening Mom came to get us. The real culprits had finally admitted they had lied about our involvement.

It was terrifying to think that we could have been convicted of something we did not do. I learned a valuable lesson that day, one that has remained with me all my life. A lesson that I taught my children about honesty, integrity, truth, and resisting temptation.

Years later I became a state trooper. Each time that jail cell door clanged shut on someone I had arrested, I remembered my own jail time and my narrow escape from the fruits of a bad reputation.

Life Lesson

Sin does not always look dark and evil—sometime sin looks like a lot of fun. It’s easy, then, to give in to that seemingly harmless fun, but it can lead us down the wrong path. The next time you’re tempted by something you know is wrong but seems innocuous, consider not just the impact of the moment, but the overall effect on your reputation. How will others see you? How will God see you?

Seek out the way of Christ, and with each new decision for him, you will be stronger to resist the evil one.



Amazon:

Announcing the Why God Matters Virtual Book Tour!

Purchase from Tribute Books

Deacon Steve Lumbert (aka my dad) and I are pleased to announce that we are touring the Internet to promote our book, Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life.



SUMMARY

Do you feel distant from God? Do you want a closer relationship with him? God is with us always, sometimes in ways we don't even realize. Deacon Steve Lumbert and his daughter Karina Fabian share their stories of how God led them from casual belief to deep devotion, and offer tips and exercises to help you see God's hand--and take it.

Far too often, we expect God to show Himself in grand ways yet ignore when He makes His presence known in the day to day. Neither Deacon Steve nor Karina had dramatic conversions. Rather, God led them into deeper faith through the seemingly minor details of life: pot of rice, a habit of prayer, a frustrating flight home, or a barefooted stranger. This father-daughter team have written a delightful, quick book about finding God in the day-to-day. With thought-provoking quotes, heartwarming stories, Bible verses, passages from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and simple exercises the reader can fit into his or her daily routine, they help others recognize God's presence. Great for the casual or converting Catholic longing for something more in their relationship with God, or the "advanced" Catholic wanting light spiritual exercise.

SHORT BIOS

Deacon Steve Lumbert officially converted to Catholicism in 1988, but had been a "practicing" Catholic long before that. He met his lovely and loving wife, Socorro, while sercing in Roosevelt Roads Naval Base in Puerto Rico in 1966. They raised their daughters, Karina and Regina, in the faith. Steve spent 30 years as a Colorado State Trooper, but retired when God called him to the diaconate. Currently, he serves the Diocese of Pueblo as Associate Director of Deacon Formation.

Karina Lumbert Fabian was born into the Catholic faith, but truly grew to love it as an adult. A busy mother of four, she finds her strongest encounters with God's love happen in the ordinary events of the day-to-day. Karina started her writing career with diocesan newspapers but has settled into writing fun-filled fantasy and science fiction that nonetheless incorporates the principles of faith-filled living.

Please visit these sites to learn more about the book. Many of them are offering contests, too.

Tuesday, June 1
Interviewed at Book Marketing Buzz
Review at Joyce Anthony
Review at Spiritual Woman
Guest Blog at Pretty, Powerful, Prosperous

Wednesday, June 2

Interview Joyce Anthony
Guest blogging at As the Pages Turn

Thursday, June 3
Book spotlighted at Examiner

Friday, June 4
Book reviewed at The NY Book Journal

Saturday, June 5
Review on Frederation

Monday, June 7
Interviewed at Personovelty
Blog post on Fabianspace

Tuesday, June 8
Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book
Interviewed at Divine Caroline


Wednesday, June 9
Guest blogging & book giveaway at Catholic Chicks

Thursday, June 10
Book reviewed at Margay Leah Justice
Interviewed at Gloria's Corner

Friday, June 11
Book reviewed at Putting Words on Paper
Guest blogging at Writing Daze

Monday, June 14
Interviewed at Putting Words on Paper
Guest blogging at Cafe of Dreams
Blog on Fabianspace
Guest post at Write It! Publish It! Market It!

Tuesday, June 15
Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking

Wednesday, June 16
Interviewed at Beyond the Books
Interviewed at Blogcritics
Guest post at You Can Write a Novel

Thursday, June 17
Book reviewed at Lynn’s Corner
Interview at Greta Writes
Blog post on Fabianspace

Friday, June 18
Guest blogging at Lynn’s Corner

Monday, June 21
Interviewed at The Hot Author Report
Book reviewed at Marta’s Meanderings
Blog post on Fabianspace

Tuesday, June 22
Book reviewed at Reading at the Beach

Wednesday, June 23
Guest blogging at The Book Boost

Thursday, June 24
Book reviewed at The Book Connection
Interviewed on Introducing Writers Radio Show

Friday, June 25
Interviewed at The Writer’s Life

Saturday, June 26
Wrap-up of reviews at Fabianspace

My Novel's Journey: Interrupted again! Turn off the Flow!

Are you getting tired of my telling why I've lived yet another week without having written Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator?

Yeah, me, too.

However, there are only so many hours in a day, and right now I have an actual paying job writing school planners--10 stories geared for high school kids, the adapted to middle school, done for American and Canadian schools. Four calendars in all. This year, we're taking Bible stories as our theme, and I'm retelling some from side characters--one of David's soldiers, Rebeka's best friend, someone who helped the men lower the paralytic through the roof to Jesus. It's kind of fun and a stretch of my creativity as well as a great way to think more about the Bible.

Then, of course, Why God Matters comes out May 15. The publisher, Tribute Books, is spoiling my father and me--dedicated website (www.whygodmatters.com) and a publicist to plan our virtual book tour. So, I've been doing my share by spreading the word to get some blog spots for then June tour--e-mail me if you want to join in!--and making a video book trailer. This one was a no brainer, and I put it together on animoto.com. I'm posting it here May 15, but you can see it at www.whygodmatters.com/news.html.

Next, I got my book contract for Mind Over Mind. I'm resisting the temptation to look it over--I might start revising!

To top it off, I got an idea this morning for ANOTHER novel! This one is in the DragonEye universe. When a nymph is brutally murdered, her death affects all of Los Lagos: Magicals are haunted by nightmares; the water supply is poisoned, and a mysterious cloud covers the city in unending night.

I both love and hate getting ideas. I love my imagination, but I have no time! What do I do? I open up another file in Anthemion Storylines and put ideas and information as I come up with it. I promise--Neeta comes next!

I have to finish the calendars by May 11. I'm halfway done, but next week is will be insane: two signings, Rob's surgery, my cap for my tooth. Oh, and I'm not Catholic Writers' Guild Secretary.

My life is so full of blessings--of imagination, of opportunity, of service. I'm not complaining, but I wouldn't mind if we turned the spigot down just a bit. Just until I finish off the shambling undead hoards.

Progres on Neeta Lyffe: I did manage one scene this week: Zombies attack parade goers at the last New England Zombie Crawl. They made the mistake of attacking the New York contingent. The irate New Yorkers ripped them apart then beat them to redeath with their own limbs.

My Novel's Journey: Speed Bumps 2

I managed 850 words on Neeta Lyffe: Zombie Exterminator this week. They've come up against a zombie in the park--but wait! It's just a geeky fanboy. Neeta is not pleased. This weekend, if I get time, she's going to show him just how displeased she is.

Part of my slowdown is that the location wasn't working, but I think I got that worked around. Roscoe, my sensitive, high maintenance character, doesn't want to go in the thick underbrush, and after some consideration, Neeta decided it looked like a nice place to get ambushed. So they gas the area. Writing moral for the week: If you come across a snag in your story, it helps sometimes to just write anyway and see if your characters can figure it out for you.

Anyway, the rest of the week has been spent with sick kids, putting in the suggestions for Why God Matters and going through the final edits on Infinite Space, Infinite God II. Yay! I was starting to sweat getting that in time for the projected launch date. I still think it will be later in April, which is a bummer, because it messes up my chance for a launch party at Godspace. Maybe I can do it in late May or early June.

I also managed to get my DragonEye, PI newsletter done. Someone reminded me the March issue hadn't come out yet. You can read it at http://www.myebook.com/ebook_viewer.php?ebookId=31006 or if you're registered on my website, you can download it in PDF. This time, Grace talks about meeting Vern for the first time. He didn't make a good first impression.

My Novel's Journey: Best Kind of Speed Bumps

Oops! Missed a post on my novel's journey with Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator. The book hit a speed bump last week, but the best kind. I was working on another book with my dad.

Most of you know that I was blessed with a quick deadline contract to write a small book called "Why God Matters and How to Recognize Him in Daily Life." It contains 14 stories of events from our lives and what those events taught us about faith.

I had decided to recruit my dad, Steve Lumbert, Deacon in the Catholic Church to help me because I thought the book needed a male POV. I figured since he wrote so many homilies, he'd have an easy time coming up with seven stories.

What I hadn't thought of was how different a 10-minute homily is from a 500-word story and lesson. He had some wonderful stories, but needed a lot of help on the format. So we spent an intense week on Yahoo IM, with him writing, me critiquing and offering different ideas, and him rewriting. I think he must be sick of me saying, "This is good, but what's the faith point you're making?"

Following the format given to us by the publisher, we started each story with a quote. Mine were quips from saints and celebrities; his were paragraphs from encyclicals and the Catechism. So we spent some time cutting down or finding new quotes for him.

However, I loved his idea of incorporating the Catechism. I think too many people think it's inaccessible, high-brow or for catechesis only. So we spent several hours combing the Catechism together to find paragraphs that fit our stories. We did the same thing with the Bible.

Dad, of course, wrote the prayer that opens the book.

It's done and edited and in the hands of my wonderful writing friends for critique. Dad is getting some folks to read it over as well, and his asking his friend Deacon Diteqwig, to write the forward. Hopefully, it will all be done in time for the May launch date. That means two book published this year: Infinite Space, Infinite God II (no set date yet, sorry!) and Why God Matters.

Next week, I go full-bore on Neeta Lyffe. I want to have it done by May. I also have school planners to write (need 10 Bible stories. Then Gapman. Then Discovery. Somewhere in there, I need to edit Mind Over Mind (waiting on the contract and editorial direction). Oh--and let's not forget we're moving to Utah! Where did the year go?

EEK! Not going to think about it. This weekend, I'm going to rest and recharge, happy in the fact that I got to write a book with my daddy!

An Unexpected Blessing and a (Nonfiction) Book Contract!

I had an unexpected blessing happen this weekend.

I was looking at my Yahoo groups and came across the post: Looking for a Catholic Writer. I figured if I couldn't help, someone in CWG could, so I replied. It turned out the publisher, Tribute Books, needed an author to write a quick little book about living the Catholic life. They had a book lined up and the author pulled out at the last minute.

I looked over the old manuscript and asked a few questions. The format is straightforward, and along the lines of things I'd done before, though not quite in this way. It was something I knew I could do, but I wasn't sure I should. I was also concerned that this was written by a man and as such, had a distinctly male point of view that I could not mimic.

Sunday, I was mulling about it during Mass, and in the homily, Fr. Joe talked about loving our parents and it hit me--I have a deacon father! Even more, I have a deacon father who adores writing homilies and sharing them with his writer daughter.

I IM'd my dad after church and proposed we do the project together. He's very excited about the prospect of working with his daughter--and I'm glad to be able to share this common interest with him.

The book is tentatively called Why God Matters, but the publisher is thinking of changing the title and I'm drawn toward "His Breath in Mine" from St. Patrick. If we can get it done in time, it will be out May 2010 from Tribute Books. We've got to work fast, but I already have two stories written, and know what I want to do for the others. My dad is brainstroming his right now, but he's also got nearly a decade of homilies to draw from. We're aiming for a mid-March completion date.