my book

Quick Takes: Order WRJ, Enter to Win, & Smile

February 3, 2012 By Sarah Reinhard 2 Comments

— 1 —

Lent is coming and I have a book that’s hot off the presses.

And guess what? It’s only $1.99.

So go to your local Catholic bookstore (or one of the many other places you’ll find it, if you don’t have a store locally). Parishes receive bulk discounts, depending on the quantity they order, and can call 800-325-9521 to speak to the sales department at Liguori about that.

— 2 —

Mary Moments are back! Thanks to Fr. Jay Finelli’s support, I’ll be producing a weekly Mary Moment segment on the iPadre show. This week: 3 reasons I love Our Lady of Lourdes. Listen to the whole show for a fabulous summary of the story of Our Lady of Lourdes, too.

— 3 —

What’s your favorite game app? I share three of my kids’ favorites in this week’s Tech Talk.

— 4 —

Remember how I promised a full review of Strategies for a Tech-Savvy Classroom? It’s up over at CatholicMom.com.

— 5 —

It’s hard to believe that Daria Sockey has been blogging at Coffee & Canticles for a year already!

In honor of her one year anniversary, she has a pile of giveaways related to the Liturgy of the Hours. Go on over and enter.

While you’re there, be sure to wish her well!

— 6 —

In case you missed it the other day, I’m giving away a ton of books. You can enter as many times as you qualify for until February 21.

There are new titles by Christopher West, Mark Shea, Lisa Hendey, and Anthony DeStefano, among others.

So what are you waiting for? Enter!

— 7 —

Been a big week for the Tooth Fairy around here:

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Filed Under: Books, family, podcasts, Quick Takes, writing Tagged With: apps, CatholicMom.com, family, iPadre, Lent, my book, pictures, podcasts, Quick Takes, technology, Virgin Mary, Welcome Risen Jesus

The Squee! Takes

January 13, 2012 By Sarah Reinhard 10 Comments

— 1 —

In my inbox this week:

Catholic Family Fun: A Guide for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative, or Clueless

— 2 —

That, my friends, is the long-awaited, much-anticipated cover art for my upcoming book, Catholic Family Fun: A Guide for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative, or Clueless.

It is the first book I ever wrote (not counting the book on taking care of your Cabbage Patch Kid from about second grade).

It has not been the first book to be published. But it remains my first book, at least in my mind.

Thanks to Jim Hunt, who not only captured exactly how I feel about this book. That cover prepares you, I think, for what’s inside. (The title does, too, really.)

— 3 —

I am surprised at just how emotional I felt when I look at this cover.

The book…it’s a reality.

It’s really happening.

People are really going to buy it and read it.

Wow.

— 4 —

The official “street date” isn’t until April 1, no foolin. (Couldn’t resist, sorry.)

I’ll admit, it was a project that had me laughing. I still laugh about this book.

Me? Write a book like this?

Not only does God have a sense of humor, so do those Pauline sisters.

— 5 —

I’ve seen some of the endorsements and let me pause right here.

Folks, I am humbled. Period.

Downright humbled.

— 6 —

It seems appropriate that this work I do, which puts me out in front of everyone, reminds me, again and again, of how I am not doing any of it alone.

I have, first and foremost, God to thank. And, in close second, my husband, who has never doubted or hesitated to support me and encourage me and make me laugh.

Any of y’all who are my “fan”? Thank you.

For those of you who have graciously endured my ranting and railing, thank you.

And, last but NOT least, those of you who keep me supplied in things chocolate, coffee, and humor, DON’T STOP.

— 7 —

You okay with seeing it one more time?

Catholic Family Fun: A Guide for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative, or Clueless

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Filed Under: Books, Quick Takes, writing Tagged With: Catholic Family Fun, Jim Hunt, my book, Quick Takes, writing

Quick Takes, New Year Style

January 6, 2012 By Sarah Reinhard 3 Comments

— 1 —

Good news! I’m going to be attending the Behold Conference in East Peoria, IL, on March 10! It’s quite a line-up going on over there: Kate Wicker‘s the keynote speaker and Jennifer Fulwiler, Hallie Lord, and a host of other people I ~~stalk~~ follow enthusiastically will be in attendance.

I’d love to meet you if you’re going–let me know! You can register at their site and if you’re in my neighborhood, let me know and we’ll carpool.

— 2 —

I haven’t set any resolutions for 2012, though I’m reminded that Lent is coming at the end of February. That’s always a good time to resolve and succeed (or fail, as the case may be), so I think I’ll play copycat to Danielle and wait.

One thing I did do, though, as I have for quite a few years, is select a patron for 2012. Thanks to the Saints Name Generator, I was given…St. Matthias the Apostle.

He’s the patron of alcoholics (current and reformed), carpenters, and tailors. His feast is May 14.

And what’s his tie to me this year? I’m not completely sure, but I’ll be incorporating him into my conversations this year.

— 3 —

Speaking of Lent…my newest book is out and available!

Welcome Risen Jesus: Lent and Easter Reflections for Families has one page for each day of Lent and the first week of Easter. Every day features sections for Think, Act, Fast, and Pray, designed to help your family work together to embrace the spirit of Lent to lead you to the joy of Easter.

Find it from your local Catholic retailer, your favorite Catholic online retailer (Aquinas & More and the Catholic Company are two of my favorites, though they don’t have it available just yet), Liguori, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.

— 4 —

And, while we’re on the topic of writing, exciting news: Welcome Baby Jesus and Welcome Risen Jesus are being released in Spanish!

Pardon me for being a wee bit excited.

And very, very humbled.

— 5 —

Have you seen ImmaculataArt.com? Here’s a little sample of a piece I really love:

I first “met” the artist, Nellie Edwards, a few years ago through some work we both did over at Catholic Exchange.

You can purchase prints on canvas or on paper and there are also greeting cards available.

— 6 —

I’m a big fan of good fiction, and that makes me a huge fan of the Catholic Writers Guild‘s Catholic Arts & Letters Award. This is the second year for awarding it, and I’m looking forward to it.

If you’re interested in applying, do check it out — ~~you only have until January 31!~~ Update: You have until February 29 to apply (thanks to Ellen Gable Hrkach for correcting me).

— 7 —

The other day, I was reading about no-poo, which is basically using baking soda and apple cider vinegar in place of commercial shampoo. I found myself, in the midst of my reading, forwarding it to a friend (who will laugh when she reads this) and suggesting that I might try it.

My husband thinks I’m a little crazy.

In the category of not-so-crazy, I am barely restraining myself from buying My Family Table: A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking, by John Besh. After hearing all about it on Catholic Foodie episode 126 and thinking about the clips he played, I’m thisclose to breaking my standing “no buying books” resolution to buy it. Because, after all, it’s a cookbook. Which is different than a novel or a nonfiction book. Right?

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Filed Under: Books, Quick Takes, writing Tagged With: Catholic Foodie, Catholic Writers Guild, conferences, John Besh, my book, Quick Takes, Saints, Welcome Baby Jesus, Welcome Risen Jesus, writing

Quick Takes Halfway through Advent

December 9, 2011 By Sarah Reinhard 1 Comment

— 1 —

Not only did I find my Advent wreath this week, but I set it up.

AND we have USED it.

— 2 —

In case I’m not the only person just getting started on Advent halfway through, I thought I’d host something fun next week…a link-up (or “carnival” to those of us who remember the days of such bloggy fun) of Advent wreaths.

This is inspired, in part, by the people who keep sending me messages with pictures of their Advent wreaths and my book.

For example, I received this from Larissa Hoffman this week:

Know what that book at the end of the table is?

Welcome Baby Jesus, by yours truly.

Talk about humbled.

So I was inspired: let’s have an Advent Wreath Carnival! We’ll exchange links, post pictures, and have all sorts of fun.

Let’s CELEBRATE Advent, shall we? Hope you can participate!

— 3 —

Part of what inspired me to actually find my wreath (which involved a special trip to the attic of our old house) was the encouragement of Greg and Jennifer Willits.

I had a chance to talk to them on Tuesday afternoon during their radio show, The Catholics Next Door.

It was great fun and yes, I’m feeling a lot like this about it (still):

Click here to view the embedded video.

— 4 —

Speaking of things that excite me, check THIS out:

That’s my newest book, Welcome Risen Jesus: Lent and Easter Reflections for Families. I don’t even have blurbs for it yet, but I have my author copies in hand. (The marketing of pamphlets/booklets is far different than what’s done for “real” books, I’m finding.)

Best place to buy it? Your local Catholic retailer. If you don’t have one, consider Liguori (the publisher), Aquinas and More, or The Catholic Company (though, admittedly, they don’t have it for pre-order). Or, yes, Amazon. But let’s keep our Catholic friends in business first, shall we?

— 5 —

Want a free book? OF COURSE you do!

And it’s not just any book…it’s Ellen Gable’s new book, Stealing Jenny, one that should come with a warning label. You still have today to enter to win one of the five Kindle copies we’re giving away at CatholicMom.com.

But wait…there’s more! Over at Amazing Catechists, the amazing Lisa Mladinich has organized a giveaway that lasts for ten days, and we’re only halfway through. Be sure to enter each day!

— 6 —

Speaking of Amazing Catechists, my latest column is up: Immacu-what?

I was standing at the front of the class, fresh out of Mass. I’d like to say it was a room of fresh-faced fifth graders, but the truth was, we were all tired.

I asked them who had been at Mass.

A few hands went up.

“And why were you at Mass? What were we celebrating?”

“Advent!” They were triumphant. They were confident. They were sure.

And they were WRONG.

Read the rest at Amazing Catechists.

— 7 —

And this post wouldn’t be complete without the obligatory mancub picture:

He’s trying to walk and he’s almost succeeding (with or without something to push). Maybe I should quit pushing him down every time he stands up: it’s just making him stronger and more determined (and goodness, we don’t need any more strong wills in this house!).

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Filed Under: Quick Takes, writing Tagged With: Advent, Amazing Catechists, Baby #3, carnivals, contests, family life, giveaways, my book, pictures, Quick Takes, seasons, Welcome Risen Jesus, writing

Five Reasons to Buy WELCOME BABY JESUS

November 17, 2011 By Sarah Reinhard 11 Comments

1. It’s less than the cost of a cup of coffee. It’s only $1.99, whether you buy it from your local Catholic bookstore, the publisher, or Amazon.

2. It’s sure to make you smile at some point during Advent, even if you tend to be a stressball in the four weeks before Christmas. I mean, come on: look at that cover! (Credit goes to Wendy Barnes, not me, for all the beautiful artwork and design.)

3. It’s perfect for the whole family and you can do it TOGETHER. Or, alternatively, you could do it separately.

4. You get one chance at Advent this year: why not commit to something fun, easy, and achievable?

5. It makes a great gift, whether for your child’s PSR teacher, your best friend, or your grandkids. And hey, you can always justify a gift to yourself, too!

Leave me YOUR reason, and I’ll enter you to win a copy of Welcome Baby Jesus!

Filed Under: Books, Contest Tagged With: Advent, my book, Welcome Baby Jesus

Advent is coming (not that I’m counting, but others are)

November 14, 2011 By Sarah Reinhard 1 Comment

Karen Edmisten is one of my go-to gals when it comes to, well, a lot of things, but let’s start with Advent–her No-Panic Advent series is one I reread every single year.

To find out, then, that she posted a review of Welcome Baby Jesus was delightful (though putting a number on how many days til Advent is a little…SCARY…to me).

It’s also very humbling. (She’s one of my favorite authors, after all.)

Karen says, among other things,

Because Sarah doesn’t talk down to kids, there’s enough substance in the “Think” sections for us adults, so they work at varying levels for the whole family. We can all be challenged by such questions as, “When we are asked to do work we might consider ‘servant’ work, how do we respond?” (Ummm, I think I’ll be taking yet another look at my attitude toward laundry this Advent.) For very young children, the “Think” passages could be shortened or skipped — head straight to “Pray” and “Act” with the littlest ones.

Thanks, Karen! It’s not too late to get your own copy, and I’d especially encourage you to send some business to your local Catholic bookstore (it’s no cheaper on Amazon than it is anywhere else).

Filed Under: Reviews, writing Tagged With: Karen Edmisten, my book, Reviews, Welcome Baby Jesus

Takes of the Quick Sort

September 30, 2011 By Sarah Reinhard 3 Comments

-1-

It.

Is.

Finished.

(Well, the Ugly First Draft is, anyway. Including sidebars.)

-2-

Now that I’m done with my Ugly First Draft of this manuscript (it’s a Catholic guide to pregnancy–more details when we have more to talk about and it’s not so, well, ugly), I need to clean my house.

(My husband is probably reading that and having a moment of jumping-up-and-down. Though, bless him, he has never said a word.)

-3-

A couple of weekends ago, our parish hosted Frank Runyeon, who I had never heard of but who, it turns out, is a quite famous and critically-acclaimed Hollywood actor.

Runyeon performed “The Sermon on the Mount,” followed by “Hollywood vs. Faith: The Other Three Beatitudes.”

Here’s an excerpt:

We really enjoyed ourselves and I highly recommend these performances. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was great and thought-provoking, in a fun sort of way.

-4-

Hey, according to my calendar, it’s almost October, which means Advent is just around the corner.

That makes it the perfect time to order Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families, don’t you agree? In fact, go a step farther. They’re priced at $1.99 and parishes get quantity discounts if they order through Liguori (I don’t know the details of that, so be sure to call Liguori). Talk to your DRE or your pastor and get some copies for all the families in your parish.

I mean, how can you resist that cover?

(I have Wendy Barnes to thank for that. And I have thanked her. Consider this more thanks. She is amazing!)

-5-

While I’m plugging stuff, let me plug something else we discovered in the last week:

Gooney Bird Greene is, near as I can tell, the coolest thing I’ve read since Pippi Longstocking (which I need to acquire for our read aloud pile). And there are a whole host of other Gooney Bird books…we only read the first one! Yay!

We’re still plugging along with Junie B. Jones. We actually dug through all the shelves of moved-but-not-organized books and found all the ones appropriate for reading aloud (such as, joy of joys, The Black Stallion and a pile of others from my own youth and recent YA reading).

My six-year-old regularly asks me to read aloud to her. We almost always read during breakfast, after school, and in the evening before bed (depending on the day). And you know what? It’s waaaaay better than anything on TV.

-6-

Speaking of things I love for my kids, have you seen Horseland? (And look! It’s on YouTube!)

We discovered it because we put our DirecTV on hold for a few months and have been trying out Netflix.

My girls (ages three and six) have watched all the episodes in season one at least ten times each. My husband and I discovered, by accident, that it’s produced for CBS.

We’ve found it to be pretty good all around, and not just because we’re a tad bit obsessed with horses.

-7-

This makes me smile:

That’s my three-year-old, in safety goggles, a black tutu, and a cheetah-print skirt. She was swimming, in case you were wondering about that face. I just managed to catch her with my phone before she was off to something else.

You’ll find more Quick Takes over at Conversion Diary!