New Release: After the Thaw

A breathtaking Catholic romantic suspense novel!
After the Thaw Catholic romance Catholic suspense

After the Thaw by Therese Heckenkamp

Some wounds heal. Others leave scars.
Four years ago, Charlene Perigard survived a brutal kidnapping. Now sinister threats, a midnight attack, and a deathbed promise drive her to the little town of Creekside, where she encounters a man from her past whom she has long struggled to forget. Charlene’s wounded heart must choose between her fiancé and the man whose past is more scarred than her own. But in choosing, she may just lose everything.

After the Thaw is the long-awaited sequel to Frozen Footprints, but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel.

Available for $3.99 as a Kindle ebook and for $13.99 in paperback.

Read the first few chapters for free, right here.

Castle Wolves

Released just in time for Christmas!


Castle Wolves by Patricia La Barbera

Lady Merewyn and Prince Alexander face daunting circumstances. Werewolf hordes, slaughtering royalty and peasants, rampage King William’s empire. But even if she and Prince Alexander escape, Lady Merewyn fears he will discover her secret.

From the author: “This novel has romance, action and adventure, and Catholic elements, such as characters who pray, read the Bible, receive sacraments, and witness to the Faith.”

Put Castle Wolves on your Christmas list today!

Available in paperback and as a Kindle ebook.

Book Review: A Subtle Grace

There is plenty to love about this beautiful novel, including the graceful flow of the story, the genuine characters, the description, the rich historical detail, the joyous moments, and the frightening ones.

A Subtle Grace by Ellen Gable is an inspirational historical romance, and more. It takes you on a genuine journey into the past, into the lives of the endearing O’Donovan Family. While the main story focuses on the oldest daughter, Kathleen, I enjoyed the intertwining, equally interesting, stories of the close-knit Catholic family and how they coped with life’s challenges: losses, tragedy, vocations, and temptations.

At 19 years old and living a privileged life in 1896 Philadelphia, Kathleen longs to be married and to begin a family before she reaches “old maid” status. She becomes fascinated by the attentions of a certain young man, but when her sparkling expectations for the future are savagely crushed, she has to learn to hope and love again. With time and trials, she matures into a selfless, instead of a somewhat self-absorbed, young woman. Even though she cannot fathom God’s plan for her life, she must trust in Him. Meanwhile, a lurking threat follows her like a dark shadow, marring her happiness.

A Subtle Grace is the sequel to the lovely book In Name Only, yet A Subtle Grace can be enjoyed independently. Of course, readers of the first book won’t want to miss this one! We get to see where life has taken Caroline and David and their family, and how the journey of life continues. The story kept me so interested that I hardly realized this was, in fact, a lengthy book.

A Subtle Grace is a novel to stir your heart, your emotions, and your soul. I highly recommend it!

A Subtle Grace is available as a Kindle ebook and will soon be available in paperback as well.

Book Review: Finding Grace

Laura H. Pearl’s first novel, Finding Grace, was a pure delight to read. The story is absorbing on so many levels.

The main character, Grace, is thirteen at the beginning of the book, but her story spans the years of 1972-1980 as she becomes a young woman in a world fraught with challenges. She strives to live as a good Catholic so that she may one day become a saint; but goodness doesn’t come easily, and as she struggles to live her faith, she encounters life in all its many facets of good and evil, joy and disappointments. Add to this the pain of falling deeply in love with a young man who sees her only as a friend, and I had to keep turning pages, staying up late, to find out how everything turns out.

The characters are fully developed, easy to relate to, and real. Grace’s relationships with her parents, her many brothers, and her friends, are genuine. Readers will become invested in Grace’s fate, and yearn for her to win her true love in the end. While this book is a wonderful coming-of-age story for teens, it is also great for adults looking for a romantic story that is deep and meaningful. Not a shallow romance, Finding Grace has all the hallmarks readers could want: romance, conflict, humor, life, love, laughter, and tears.

Parents can feel confident in buying this for their teens. Finding Grace is a moral read, without being bland or boring. The importance of family and faith is highlighted. Yes, there are lessons to be learned, but readers will be highly entertained along the way.

I laughed out loud. I shared in the heartaches as Grace learned who she is, and who she can be, with the grace of God. I really do miss the characters and I’m sad to be done with the novel, even though it has a beautiful ending! This is a book that I will definitely recommend to my own daughter someday.

Finding Grace is available in paperback and as a Kindle ebook.

Review of “Angela’s Song”

In her debut novel, Angela’s Song, AnnMarie Creedon has crafted an engaging story that blends the ups and downs of real life with the beauty of God’s plan. Unlike many of today’s romances, Angela’s Song is not a fluffy, shallow read, but a deep and meaningful one. It offers a refreshing view on dating, true love, engagement, and marriage, all within a Catholic framework.

Yet the main character, Angela, is not a perfect Catholic, which makes the story all the more interesting and realistic. Angela (or Jel, as her late husband called her) has a full life caring for her three kids while being involved with numerous charitable projects, but her life and faith are lacking. When she meets a charming man named Jack, all her problems are not suddenly solved; in fact, the problems multiply. But through all the challenges, Angela’s faith grows and she learns to truly trust in God, finding a love that she never dreamed possible.

Angela’s Song is a novel for adult readers, as it brings up serious issues and emotions. At the same time, the story remains entertaining, touching, romantic, and even humorous. The many Catholic elements are woven in naturally, and the characters are convincing, likable, and easy to relate to. As a reader, you will feel a part of the family and enjoy the day-to-day interactions that are real, but never dull. This book did a great job of keeping my interest without relying on convoluted plot twists—just the sweet simplicity and tangles of everyday life.

I’ll also note that it takes a skilled writer to pull off a novel written in the first person, present tense, as this author has done. Her writing is smooth and effective, never distracting, and since the events seem to be happening right now, it makes the story more powerful.

Angela’s Song is a beautiful Catholic romance that is wonderfully inspirational, and readers won’t be disappointed.