Every Body Matters
Gary Thomas
Zondervan
ISBN 9780310290810

This book completely blew me away. It was an amazing read. I think it should be in every church library and on every pastor’s desk. It is a wakeup call to all Christians that we are body, mind and spirit and that in order to love and serve God to the best of our abilities we need to be nurturing and looking after all three areas of our life. Back when I was a student involved with Campus Ministries, I heard a talk that stated the human body is a like a car with three gas tanks – one physical, one spiritual and one intellectual and if any of the three run out of gas then the engine will have problems and not run well. This book brings to light the fact that Christianity often focuses only on the two and it is something that is costing us – it costs us in our witness, in our effectiveness and in our possible length of service to Jesus Christ.

This book is a series of examples from Gary’s life and from a number of case studies. Another great strength of the book is the variety of examples and sources Gary uses to make his point. However this book is not a diet book, it is not a fitness guide, it is not a ‘How to’ this book is the theological argument for why we should look after and even work at improving or strengthening the body that God has given us. Now this book is not Catholic but it is a great Christian book and draws heavily from Church Fathers and throughout the Catholic Tradition for it’s examples.

Gary Thomas in quoting Elton Trueblood states: “Angels .?.?. are pure spirits without bodily needs, but men are not pure spirits. Men are combinations of body and mind and spirit, uniting in a working partnership both hand and brain. They thus have a variety of temptations and any valid religion will be frankly concerned with all of these.” Thomas draws heavily from Christian traditions, from the saints of the church, from monastic movements and even almost a whole chapter focused around a movement called Muscular Christianity. Thomas states: “Socrates himself was a hardy figure, a physically fit former infantry soldier in the Athenian army. He recognized that all exercise and no study creates only half a man, just as all study and no exercise also creates half a man – in this case an effeminate, soft, overly sensitive man who isn’t tough enough to address real life.” That is what we need today, men and women who are fit physically so that they can be of greater service spiritually. Thomas has even paraphrased one of the Proverbs as a commentary on the form Christianity currently has slid into for the most part.

“Proverbs talks about fields, but you could apply this to just about any aspect of human existence:

I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.” Proverbs 24:30 – 34

Today’s version might read as follows: I went past the body of a sluggard, past the body of someone who has no sense. His cholesterol was killing him from within; his high blood pressure was a tinderbox waiting to explode. His breath was labored, and he could barely move without breaking into a sweat. He said he had no time to exercise or to prepare healthier meals, but he lost hours going to the doctor and much money buying medicines to treat the symptoms rather than attack the disease. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little softness, a life of overindulgence – and ill health will come on you like a thief and frailty like an armed man.

Over time, laziness, like excessive eating, has a way of outing itself.”

Gary Thomas draws for a number of modern sources to reinforce his points and arguments. He says:

“What so many in the church don’t see is that this physical battle has spiritual roots. Dr. Ed Young writes:

‘Satan not only wants to suffocate your spiritual heart, he will do whatever he can to take away your physical heart. Jesus labeled the devil a “murderer”
(John 8:44). Satan is out to cause your physical death if he possibly can. Why does Satan want you physically dead? Because it would bring an abrupt end to your loving care for others, and the whole purpose to which God has called you. With you out of the way, he has eliminated a key person God wants to use to touch your family members, your neighbors, your friends, and others in your circle of influence’.

Dr. Young goes on: ‘How can [Satan] get rid of you? Well, he knows you’re too smart to fall for the temptation to jump off a bridge, throw yourself in front of a speeding train, or drink a bottle of cyanide.?.?.?. Remember: he’s a con artist. He wants to trick you into doing his bidding, to cause you to think it’s not too bad.
So he just might suggest more acceptable behaviors that could eventually gain him the same result, behaviors that will negatively affect your health.
If this is true – and it makes sense – Satan may attempt to ruin one man’s ministry by luring him into a financial trap that will ultimately become a crime and thus wreck his business and his reputation; he may attempt to ruin a woman by gradually filling her mind with thoughts of fantasy toward a coworker and thoughts of malice toward her husband so that she is weakened and enters into an immoral affair. And he may get others to eat one too many bacon cheeseburgers without any corresponding exercise, and take them out that way. He doesn’t care what brings our ministry to an end; he just wants it to end’.”

All the while, Thomas writes the book around a series of case studies or examples, different people who have made changes to their lifestyle and fitness levels and have noticed a greater relationship with God and with those in their life. It has lead to a greater testimony. He drives home the point that we have been bought at a price and we are not our own. “Do today’s Christians have any sense that our bodies don’t belong to us? That caring for our bodies – eating appropriately, getting sufficient exercise – isn’t a matter of what we’re willing to live with but is rather a matter of discipleship and obedience?” Are we willing to head his warning and learn to become obedient in all areas of our lives, not just the spiritual ones? In quoting Dr. Cooper, Thomas declares: “Even more, I saw the spiritual side of this very physical issue. Dr. Cooper writes: ‘The food you eat and the liquids you drink are a proper subject for prayer. After all, they can play a major role in your spiritual and emotional life and may be decisive in determining how well and energetic you feel – and how effectively you are able to accomplish your daily tasks.’ All of us are like the aging athlete whose skills are slightly diminishing with every passing year. In our youth, we can get away with sloppy habits, but that day ends more quickly than most of us realize. And the longer it takes us to realize it, the bigger the health and illness hole we dig ourselves into. Eating habits aren’t easy to break. It is far easier not to fall into such patterns in the first place. Younger readers, please take note: anyone over thirty will tell you it is far, far easier to keep weight off than to lose it.” This book was an incredible read. It was a challenge to me to find greater balance between body, mind and spirit. I have recommended it to over a dozen people. Give it a try and maybe you too will find greater physical health and vitality and through that, even greater spiritual discipline. You have nothing to lose except maybe a few pounds and bad habits, and you have lots to gain!

Books by Gary Thomas:

Authentic Faith
Every Body Matters
The Glorious Pursuit
Holy Available
Pure Pleasure
Sacred Influence
Sacred Marriage
Sacred Marriage Gift Edition
Devotions for a Sacred Marriage
Sacred Parenting
Devotions for Sacred Parenting
Sacred Pathways
Simply Sacred
Thirsting for God

(First Published on Book Reviews and More.)

More »

Tending the Temple
Dr. Kevin Vost
Shane Kapler
Peggy Bowes
Bezalel Books
ISBN 9781936453009

I have read a number of daily devotional books by such authors as Oswald Chambers, John Eldredge, and Billy Graham, but there are not that many quality ones written by, or specifically for, Catholics. Of those that are, the only one I have used more than once is In Conversation with God by Francis Fernandez Carvajal, and it is 6 plus pages per day. This one will be reread each day for the next few years, maybe even longer. In the intro, the authors state that each month has a special dedication in the church. They are:

January: Holy Name of Jesus
February: Holy Family
March: St. Joseph
April: Blessed Sacrament
May: Mary
June: Sacred Heart
July: Precious Blood
August: Immaculate Heart of Mary
September: Our Lady of Sorrows
October: Rosary
November: Holy Souls in Purgatory
December: Immaculate Conception

This book is a devotional for body, mind and spirit. Christ stated that he came that we might have life and have it abundantly. I have always believed that God wants us to be whole – of sound body, sound mind and sound spirit. I personally, after 10 years in Campus ministry as a student, volunteer and staff, found that too many people, too many ministries and too many churches only focus on the spirit or spirit and mind, and let the body slide. This book is intended to help bring about a more balanced approach to life.

Each day we have a quote from the bible and/or a Saint of the church, a reflection and an exercise. This book was amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to grown in one of those three areas and especially for those who seek balance in their life. There is much in this book we can apply to our personal life and I know that with each rereading, new things and new practices will come up and as we grow, a deeper level of devotion. Awesome book. Thanks Kevin, Shane and Peggy.

Books by Dr. Kevin Vost:
Tending the Temple
From Atheism to Catholicism
Unearthing Your Ten Talents
Fit For Eternal Life
Memorize the Faith!
Full Range of Motive

Author profile interview with Dr. Kevin Vost.

More »

Why God Matters:
How to Recognize Him in Daily Life
Karina Lumbert Fabian and
Deacon Steven Lumbert
Tribute Books
ISBN 9780982256534

This was an amazing little book. The physical book is almost 120 pages. The eBook comes in around 40 pages. But while reading the book, I went back and forth and reread many sections. I probably read the book about 4 times through. I read this as an eBook. The nice thing about it was having it with me all the time, on my iPhone, on my iPad, on my MacBook Pro, on my Desktop or on my Kobo eReader. What made it nice to always have it with me was that often I went back and reread sections a few times over, pondering them, meditating on them and absorbing them before moving on to the next point. The book is written as a series of pensees, reflections or meditations called life lessons. Each chapter is a different Life Lesson, which are alternately written by Karina and Steven, daughter and father. These lessons are:

The Reluctant Convert
Love in a Pot of Rice
So Help Me, God, I Didn’t Do It
Martyr for the Trivial
Out of the Depths of Despair
Does God Send Flowers?
The Close Call
Bare Feet
Who, Me?
Small Steps, Steady Progress
Cough Up
My Non-Personal Relationship with God
The Patient Friend
Influence

Each chapter begins with a personal story and then the Life Lesson learned from the experience. Each life lesson is supported with a biblical verse and with a quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This book is a little treasure that I know I will go back and reread again to inspire and encourage me in my faith. It is a great book that was very well written. The book also includes a list of books for further reading and a few prayers at the end of the book to help start us along the path of deeper devotion. So give it a try; it will challenge you in your faith and motivate you to go deeper in your spiritual journey!

Books by Karina Fabian:
Magic, Mensa and Mayhem (2009)
Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator (2010)
Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life (2010)
Mind Over Mind (2011)

Edited by: Karina Fabian:
Infinite Space, Infinite God I (2007)
Leaps of Faith (2008)
Infinite Space, Infinite God II (2010)

Contributed to:
Firestorm of Dragons (2008)
The Zombie Cookbook (2009)
The Book of Tentacles (2009)
Twisted Fayrie Tales (2009)
FRIGHTLINER: And Other Tales of the Undead (2011)
Mother Goose is Dead (September 2011)

Author Profile and Interview With Karina Fabian

First Posted on Book Reviews and More.

More »

Karina Fabian is an author of science fiction and fantasy, comedic horror and whatever other genre fits her fancy. She writes from flash-length stories to full novels. In non-fiction, she had written writing classes, articles on parenting, and a devotional. You can learn about her varied works at her website Fabian Space. She has also been very involved with the Catholic Writers Guild Since it’s inception, and has served in a number of positions since it’s inception. She is passionate about Catholicism, Fantasy, Fiction and writing in general. So let’s go on a wild ride as she answers 20 questions about reading, writing, life, and faith.

1. If you had not become a writer what do you think you would be doing for a living?

LOL. I’m not really doing this for a living right now. To be honest, I’m not sure what I’d do. I was in the Air Force because I had an ROTC scholarship, but I was glad to get out when my first child was born. I love being a mother and wife–and Rob supports us very well–but I also go nuts when I am ONLY caring for family and home. However, since I did fall into writing so naturally, I don’t know what that would be, at least if I had to make money at it. It’s kind of scary, really. I’d be content to do volunteer work, wherever I was needed. I’m an organizer.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you nurture that dream?

I’ve always loved writing, but in 1995, I decided I really wanted to work at it. Somewhere around 2000, I decided to make it a career (or maybe an avocation, since “career” implies a certain income.) The first thing I did was dedicate to writing–I gave up reading for Lent, took up writing. Since then, I’ve made myself write or do something related to writing every day, even if it’s just a sentence before bed. I seek opportunities to motivate and challenge me–I especially like writing for anthologies. I attend and teach at writers’ conferences online and live, and I social network and market my works.

3. Who were some of your biggest supporters and contributors to your early success?

My husband, without a doubt. He’s my idea man, my first source and my logic check. Then my writer friends–we support each other, whether it’s idea swapping or encouragement or nagging. Finally, my publishers and editors who take what I always think is my best work ever and make it even more amazing.

4. What advice do you wish an artist had passed on to you early in your career, which you only learned through experience?

I was blessed to get a lot of good advice early in my career, so I have a hard time answering that question. The one bit of advice I STILL wish I could get is how to take my marketing efforts and make them more effective. I know all the general stuff, but not how to tweak them to work for me, if that makes sense.

5. What authors influenced your writing style and format?

I can tell you what writers influenced how I look at a story and the world, but my writing style and format? I’d have to leave that to the critics. I did one of those analysis things online, and for the same section of a story, I had three or more disparate authors cited as “Your style is like…” I’ve been favorably compared to a lot of famous writers, but then again, who’s going to compare you to an unknown?

I write in my style–quirky, often funny, with unique angles on everyday things. I have broken convention and tried new things because the story liked it and it was fun.

6. What does your writing process look like? Takes us through the steps from idea to publishing?

Get an idea.
Daydream about it. Write scenes. Giggle a lot if it’s that kind of story.
When it’s next on my list (as determined by publisher or time), I usually have the beginning, the ending and a few stops between. So I write and let the characters lead me through.
Edit five ways (on word processor, reading through for content, reading aloud for flow, reading backwards for grammar and nits, printing out and reading.)
Submit
Start the next one
Get a rejection? Send it on to the next publisher.
Get an acceptance? Do a happy dance and tell all my online friends.

7. Do you use a playlist when writing? Are certain books written while predominantly listing to the same music?

I seldom have music while writing. It distracts me. On rare occasions, I will make a soundtrack for my novel, like the spy music CD my husband put together for me when I was writing Live and Let Fly. If I do that, though, I need instrumental music. Words get into my head and throw off my typing.

8. I once heard Madeleine L’Engle state that her characters were real to her and almost an extended part of her family, she said once that at the dinner table she sat up and stated “Meg just finished her PhD.” Are your characters real to you, do you ever get glimpses of what they are up to now, or once you finish a book is that it?

Depends on the story. I have a few that are one-story wonders. Others continue to grow in my mind. It’s kind of frustrating, because I write in multiple genres and many worlds, and I can’t record their stories fast enough, so I have to pick one while the others live their lives.

9. What books are currently in progress for you? Writing, researching, planning or even just ideas that you would like to work on?

Writing:
1. Neeta Lyffe: I Left My Brains in San Francisco. This is the second Neeta Lyffe book, and was requested by Damnation Books after I finished Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator.

2. Just finished Discovery: Three spacefaring nuns must uncover the secret of an alien device before it destroys the minds of their fellow crewmembers.

Editing:
1. Witch Androvitch and the Boy Who Wouldn’t Bathe. This is a children’s book, but it’s written at too high a reading level for the story, so the publisher asked for a rewrite.

2. “Christmas Spirits: From the Case Files of DragonEye, PI” for a serial during Christmas. You’ll find it starting mid-November at Fabian Space.

Planning stages:
1. Gapman: a superhero spoof in the DragonEye, PI universe.
2. Damsels and Knights: When a griffon takes human form and goes undercover to track down a murder, she doesn’t expect to fall in love with a human–one she hated as a griffon, no less.

10. What does your typical day or week look like for our mind, body and spiritual development? Do you try and keep to a specific regime or schedule?

My typical week is a stew of novel writing, marketing, blogs, chatting online with friends, doing work for the Catholic Writers’ Guild. I pray daily, often in the car while driving the kids around. I care for my kids, though as they get older, I am moving more into chauffer/psychologist phase as opposed to nursemaid/playmate. It’s a good shift! I have set chores for myself and the kids so the house stays nice (usually). I adore my husband and spend as much time with him as I can. I practice haidong gumbdo, though not as often as I should. That’s Korean sword martial arts. Lots of fun.

11. What of your books or published stories is your favorite and why?

The one that’s out…until the next one comes out. I love all my books. I write in a variety of genres and styles and each has its own origin story as well as its own story.

12. What of your books was the hardest to write and why?

Discovery, hands down. I started this as a NaNo project in 2006, but could never get it to finish. After much effort and discussion, I realized the story was too small and not science fiction enough. However, then it became so big, I was intimidated. The faith factor is HUGE, and I didn’t want to preach, and the science was beyond my then knowledge. (Thank heaven for subject matter experts!) Also, the cast grew to 31 named characters. Then, as I would get going, the computer would die, taking the story with it. (Even the backups, for which I have no explanation.) I just finished it this month, almost five years after starting it, and I am so proud and relieved!

13. Many of your books are available in electronic formats but with that comes bootleg distribution. What are your impressions of ebooks and the distribution of them through torrents and other illegal means?

It happens. It’s not legal and it’s not fair, but it happens. I don’t go out of my way to look for bootleg copies of my book, but I wish folks would grant me the honor of paying for my work. If I were a chef, I wouldn’t be expected to distribute my product for free, so why do they expect authors to do so?

14. Some authors monitor torrent sites and have their publishers contact them to remove their content. Do you do so are have someone do so for you?

I have never monitored a torrent site, but a few times I’ve come across (through Google alerts) a site that has bootlegged my book, and I do let the publisher know. I think the publisher and I both deserve to be paid for our work, even with electronic books. There’s a lot of up-front money that goes into creating a book, even the e-version. Libraries, of course, are different because they lend them and get them back and monitor the book’s whereabouts–and they bought it first.

15. I once had a university professor state that the true goal of a university education should be to teach one to learn how to think. What would you state should be the goal of higher education and why?

I’d love to see that as their goal; unfortunately, I don’t see that happening, and in today’s world, we need technical skills to get into the workforce. So that has to be a consideration, too.

16. If you could only recommend 10 books to a reader looking to be a well rounded and whole person what books would you suggest?

(In no particular order)
–The Bible
–7 Habits of Highly Effective People
–The Story of the World series by Susan Wise Bauer (great comprehensive history written for kids to comprehend but with enough meat for adults wanting an overview of civilization)
–Shakespeare (if you can’t get through the English, get a kid’s adaptation so you know the stories. Yes, I know some folks will call that sacrilege, but I prefer to watch Shakespeare rather than read him.)
–Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes
–A Wrinkle in Time
–I, Robot
–One of the Harry Dresden novels by Jim Butcher
–The Secret Life of Bees (beautiful use of language)
–One of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels

I suppose I could have put a romance in there, but a well-rounded person can live that for themselves.

17. What are some of your favorite contemporary religious authors to read?

I don’t really read “contemporary religious” books. I’m pretty mainstream in my reading when I do read, but a lot of my favorite authors (see below) incorporate faith into their writing, which I find refreshing.

What do I mean by “when I do read?” Busy as I am and also because I have an obsessive nature, I can either read or write. I cannot do both easily. So usually, I am writing, with spurts of gorging on books after each book is done.

18. What are some of your favorite fiction books and authors now?

Authors, in no particular order: Terry Pratchett, Jim Butcher, Fred Warren, Michelle Buckman, Ann Lewis, John Desjarlais, and whoever catches my eye the next time I’m book shopping.

19. If you were stuck on a desert island and could only have 10 books to read again and again, what books would you want with you?

I hate this question because in general I don’t re-read books–there are too many out there I still haven’t read. However, the most important books I’d take are the Bible, a Roman missal (with all the prayers, etc), a couple of survival guides, and a scrapbook of my family.

20. What advice would you give to young aspiring authors and artists particularly those looking to have their art reflect their faith?

For everyone: Write. Learn. Get crits. Rewrite. Submit. Accept rejection; submit again. Rinse and repeat.

For those wanting to incorporate faith in their writing: Start by knowing your faith. Know what you believe and why. Then learn how to express it through your characters without preaching. Faiths are complex, and humans don’t see any doctrine as cut-and-dried and are suspicious of anyone who tries to tell it that way. Do not narrate faith and do not allow your characters to narrate or dictate faith.

Thank you Karina for taking the time to answer some questions for the Readers at Book Reviews and More and for Catholic Dad’s Online. I am sure it was an eye opener. In many ways Karina is like a catholic cross between Christopher Moore and Chuck Palahniuk. He writings are quirky fun and wlways worth a dive between the covers.

Books by Karina Fabian:
Magic, Mensa and Mayhem (2009)
Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator (2010)
Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life (2010)
Mind Over Mind (2011)

Edited by: Karina Fabian:
Infinite Space, Infinite God I (2007)
Leaps of Faith (2008)
Infinite Space, Infinite God II (2010)

Contributed to:
Firestorm of Dragons (2008)
The Zombie Cookbook (2009)
The Book of Tentacles (2009)
Twisted Fayrie Tales (2009)
FRIGHTLINER: And Other Tales of the Undead (2011)
Mother Goose is Dead (September 2011)

(First posted at Book Reviews and More.)

More »

Just wondering what applications you use for catholic resources on your mobile devices. Or even on your Mac or Windows based machines?

More »

Kathy Shaidle is an amazing author, writer, and blogger extraordinaire. She blogs current at Five Feet of Fury. She has been blogging for over a decade and prior to her current blog incarnation blogged at Relapsed Catholic. She has written for a number of religious newspapers and magazines, and also for the Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, National Post, CBC.ca, the Dallas Morning News and more. She recently took some time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for the readers of Book Reviews and More. So without further ado here’s Kathy!

1. Kathy if you had not become a professional writer what do you think you would be doing with your life?

I might have gone into library studies 25 years ago, but not today. Libraries are dying. I never planned to do anything when I grew up, because in my teens we were all assured that Ronald Reagan was going to blow up the world anyhow. I didn’t start making long term plans (if you can call them that) until after the Berlin Wall fell.

2. What advice do you wish an artist had passed on to you early in your career, which you only learned through experience?

If you want to see your name in print, open up the phonebook. There is nothing magical about it. Anyone can get something published. It won’t change the world and 99% of the time, nobody cares except you. Learning from your mistakes is good. Learning from other people’s mistakes is much better. I always knew this, but: there is no such thing as “inspiration.” Just get your butt in the chair and write or you’ll never write anything. Read everything, especially when you are young. I can still remember TIME magazine articles I read at age 12, but not what I read 24 hours ago. I could also read for hours at a time back then, and fall asleep after 10 minutes now. If you hate reading, you can’t be a writer.

3. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you nurture that dream?

In Grade 13, a short story I wrote was a runner up in a national contest. It only occurred to me decades later that probably thousands of schoolkids had been declared runners up too. But it was the shove I needed to make a decision. Nobody in my family had finished high school, let alone college. Also see “nuclear war,” above. So I flipped through a college courses catalogue and took Media Arts (Writing) at Sheridan College. Two years, only a few thousand dollars. Best decision I ever made. Unlike everyone I know who went to a real university, I have been writing professionally in one capacity or another ever since I graduated.

4. Who were some of your biggest supporters and contributors to your early success?

The staff at Sheridan College were wonderful to me. After college, I took an evening poetry workshop with Christopher Dewdney, at George Brown. I brought in a poem I’d written in 30 minutes the day before, and he said it was amazing. That went to my head and never fell out. Other people who’ve encouraged me above and beyond: Don Coles, Lynn Crosbie, Mark Steyn, the late Libby (Liba) Scheier, June Callwood – very different people who would not get along well in the same room! I try very hard to encourage people (who deserve it) because other people encouraged me (because I deserved it.) I have known that I was a good writer from the time I started writing (which, compared to most writers, was very late in life – that is, Grade 13. I have no juvenilia.)

5. What does your writing process look like? Takes us through the steps from idea to publishing?

That’s a tough one. I tend to write a lot of short form stuff and then just stick it together in a collection.

6. What was your favorite book to write and why?

The only book I think of as a real “book” is The Tyranny of Nice, co-authored with Pete Vere, about Canada’s censorious human rights commissions. We wrote it in 6 weeks because our publisher wanted to beat Ezra Levant’s book on the same topic to market! Pete and I repurposed a lot of our previous articles on the subject, through in new stuff and we were done. Painless and fruitful!
7. What of your books was the hardest to write and why?

None of my books were hard to write. Ghostwriting other people’s books, on the other hand…

8. Have you ever considered writing fiction? If so is it a project we might see in the near future? Do you think we will ever see a novel from your pen?

I wrote a short story in high school, a few in college, and have been carrying around an idea for a short story for 25 years but only have the first paragraph and a very general outline. Fiction is a different language. At the Banff Writers Workshop (back when it was 6 weeks long) I accidentally walking into an informal meeting of the fiction writers. They were all speaking English, but I literally didn’t understand what they were talking about. It scared the hell out of me.

9. Do you use a playlist when writing? Are certain books written while predominantly listing to the same music?

I write all day long (for pay) and listen to U.S. talk radio and podcasts. Yes, I can get work done like that. The beat of real music is too distracting. Being old (47) I do tend to listen to the same 100 or so songs over and over, working or not. Anything put out between 1920 and 1990.

10. What books are currently in progress for you? Writing, researching, planning or even just ideas that you would like to work on?

I want to write a book called The Consolations of Ugliness, which would be a (cough!) meditation on the pros and cons of being a non-beautiful woman; the concept of the jolie laide; how ideals of female beauty have evolved. I’d also love to write a book about the “lady scientist” characters that began populated science fiction movies after World War 2. Not sure if there is really a book in that, per se. If someone gave me a big enough advance, I’d write a book about almost anything. As it is, I am so busying ghostwriting, copywriting and blogging that I don’t have time to think about a big project like a book of my own. I will likely just put out another self-published book of my greatest blog posts, like I do every few years.

11. If you could only recommend 10 books to a reader looking to be a well rounded and whole person what books would you suggest?

The Bible. Start with The Message Bible, written in the vernacular of today, then move up to the New King James. If you haven’t read the Bible, you are illiterate. If you really can’t cope, at least read the Four Gospels.

Solitude, by Anthony Storr Anything written by Theodore Dalrymple Anything written by Florence King The Road to Serfdom, by Hayek (There is a free version in cartoon form, online) Intellectuals, by Paul Johnson To learn what true style looks like, read anything by Mark Steyn. The Complete Stories, by Flannery O’Connor, plus her letters (The Habit of Being) and essays & speeches (Mystery and Manners). The best book I’ve read in years is In 50 Years, We’ll All Be Chicks by Adam Carolla. No contest. The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation As a Basis for Social Policy by Thomas Sowell Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life by Steve Martin (proves you can be artistically talented and successful AND responsible and disciplined. In fact, it helps. Great lessons in dealing with failure – and success.) Women writers should try to avoid reading too many biographies of women writers, as these women tend to commit suicide.

12. Are there plans to release your older books in eBook Format?

Not right away, but maybe at some point I will release God Rides A Yamaha in that format.

13. You spend so much time online, writing your own blog, as a writer for hire, tweeting and more. What does your typical day look like?

I get up around 6AM, make coffee and check email and my affiliate sales for the previous day (Amazon, etc.) I write some blog posts so my readers will have something to read before 9AM. Then I get on the treadmill around 8AM so I can be done before I start getting calls and emails from clients at 9AM. I read and blog throughout the day while doing client work, which is mostly ghostwriting/blogging/tweeting; consulting; copywriting. Since I write a weekly column about talk radio, I’m usually tuned in to one of the big U.S. conservative talkers at the same time. Our mail shows up really late, around 3PM. If I get a check, I go down the street and deposit it, then come home and take care of bills and accounting online. I stop for dinner around 6PM but commonly go back to work/blogging until around 8PM.

14. You are into cult and classic films. What would be your top ten recommendations for offbeat films for someone to watch?

My favorite movies aren’t necessarily very good. I just have a lot of affection for them, and often this has a lot to do with the screenplay. Moonstruck is a good example. Psycho (1960) may be the perfect film. The original Universal Studios Frankenstein (1931) and the sequel Bride of Frankenstein. Gun Crazy (1950) Seconds (1966) Ace in the Hole (1951) Sweet Smell of Success (1957) The King of Comedy (1982) Rope (1948)
15. What were some of your favorite authors in your teen years who helped shape you?

One of the most important books I read was The Book of Lists. This novelty book was engagingly written, and actually gave me a fine basis of general knowledge that I fall back on almost daily. I read Woody Allen’s collected essays obsessively, along with those of other humorists like James Thurber and even Lenny Bruce. I didn’t understand all the jokes at the time, but years later, many of the jokes caught up with me. The Boy Looked at Johnny: The Obituary of Rock and Roll, by Julie Burchill and Tony Parsons was a huge deal for me. It is one of the few books I keep on my desk at all times. It is falling apart. I also read a lot of books about the history of film, from the serious to the unserious (like The Golden Turkey Awards.) I read The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, which was probably a mistake from a mental health standpoint; however, the edition I found at the used bookstore had an introductory biographical essay about Plath that made me realize: a woman can be a writer; this is how one woman did it (just don’t kill yourself.) My first article was published in Seventeen magazine when I was 20, which made me particularly proud because according to that essay, it took Plath 50 tries to break it. (Remember what I said about the importance of what you read when you are younger. I can still see paragraphs of this essay in my minds eye, laid out on the page.)

16. What are some of your favorite books and authors now?

I always read Ann Coulter’s latest (in hardcover). I’ve mentioned Thomas Sowell, Dalrymple and Mark Steyn before. Other writers: David Horowitz, Jonah Goldberg, Victor Davis Hanson. P.J. O’Rourke in small doses. I re-read Donald Critchlow’s Phyllis Schlafly and Grassroots Conservatism: A Woman’s Crusade once a year. I am fascinated by the topic of fame and celebrity, and will read almost anything on that subject, most recently the many books documenting the development of tabloids, movie magazines and gossip “rags.” The next book on my to-read list is I’m Dying Up Here, about the 1978 stand up comedians’ strike at the Comedy Store.

17. What are some of your favorite contemporary religious authors to read?

I honestly don’t read many religious authors any longer. I’ve recommended the letters of Flannery O’Connor and they offer a still relevant religious education of sorts.

18. I once had a university professor state that the true goal of a university education should be to teach one to learn how to think. What would you state should be the goal of higher education and why?

College is a waste of time and money. Drop out. Whatever the goal “should” be, it no longer is. University is a groupthink factory. Take the money and start your own business. Follow as few laws, regulations and rules as you can safely get away with, and read books on your own time.

19. If you were stuck on a desert island and could only have 10 books to read again and again, what books would you want with you?

A complete Shakespeare. A complete Dickens. Oxford collections of British, American and Canadian poetry. I’d love to have the complete boxed set of the BFI Film Classics.

20. What advice would you give to young aspiring authors and artists particularly those looking to have their art reflect their faith?

Write “artistically” first and “spiritually” last if at all. If your art is true, the spirituality will be too (maybe even in spite of yourself.) Don’t be parochial. Avoid “Christian” publishing. The movie Knocked Up has probably prevented more abortions than all the stuck up, well intentioned, goody-goody, corny “pro-life” writing nobody actually reads. Read “The Closing of the Evangelical Mind” and don’t be like the people he talks about, basically. And yes, read more Flannery O’Connor.

Thank you Kathy for taking the time to answer some questions for the readers at Book Reviews And More.

Books by Kathy Shaidle:
gas station of the cross (1990)
Round Up The Usual Suspects: More poems about famous dead people (1992)
Lobotomy Magnificat (1997)
God Rides a Yamaha (1998)
A Seeker’s Dozen: The 12 Steps for Everyone Else (2004)
A Catholic Alphabet: The Faith from A to Z (2005)
Acoustic Ladyland: Kathy Shaidle Unplugged (2007)
The Tyranny of Nice (2009 with Pete Vere)

Author Profile Kathy Shidle Interview (2011)
Author Profile (2006)

First Posted at Book Reviews and More.

More »

Enter to win a copy of:

Giveaway Project Dad:
The Complete Do-It-Yourself
Guide for Becoming a Great Father
Todd Cartmell
Revell
ISBN 9780800719999

I am only about a third of the way through this book. It is amazing; it will be a great tool in your arsenal as a Christian Father. In the introduction Todd states:

“Five Key Areas

Let’s review the main point so far: God is building a dad, and that dad is you. And God’s plan is for you to be a great dad for the kids he has entrusted into your care. Five key areas are essential for becoming the great dad God wants you to be and that your children need you to be. To help you remember each area, I’ve connected each one with a body part, because as my wife keeps reminding me, guys think with their body parts. Here they are from the bottom:

• Your eyes – how you look at your children
• Your mouth – how you talk to your children
• Your heart – how you connect with your children
• Your hands – how you act toward your children
• Your feet – how you lead your children

In the following pages, you will learn how to:

• look at your children in a way that will help them see the reflection of who God made them to be in your eyes;
• talk to your children in a way that will nurture them and shape how they learn to think about themselves;
• connect with your children in a way that will build a relationship that will stay strong for years to come;
• act toward your children in a way that will open them up to the lessons and wisdom they need to learn from you; and
• lead your children along the path God has laid out for them and protect them from the pitfalls and traps the enemy has laid ahead of them.”

He does it through the following section:

Part 1: Your Eyes – How You Look at Your Children
1. Who Are Those Little People? (And Why Are They in My House?)
2. There’s a Prize Inside
3. What Are You Looking For?
4. Every Day Makes an Impact

Part 2: Your Mouth – How You Talk To Your Children
5. When Dad Talks, Who Listens?
6. Send a Message
7. Watch Out for Hazards
8. Your Secret Weapon

Part 3: Your Heart – How You Connect with Your Children
9. “Hello, My Name Is Dad”
10. Connect through Respect
11. Listen and learn
12. Connect as a Family

Part 4: Your Hands – How You Act toward Your Children
13. Be a Coach
14. Save the Picnic
15. Find the House
16. Discipline with the End in Mind (Not That End)

Part 5: Your Feet – How You Lead Your Children
17. Follow My Lead
18. The Friendship Factor
19. Draw the Line
20. Wanted: Great Dads (Superheroes Need Not Apply)

As I stated earlier this is an awesome book and you can win it just by leaving a comment on the original post on my blog here, second ballad for following on me on twitter, third for retweeting the contest. Winner will be announced on Fathers Day June 19th 2011, check back and email me you mailing address. Contest open to North America and UK. Though not explicitly Catholic still a great resource for Catholic Dad’s!

More »

One of the author interviews I did this year, the authors advice to youth was: “Ask for help when you need it, don’t when you don’t, and learn to recognize the difference.” It amazes me how hard it is to get caught up once you get behind financially. As many of you know I was off work for 3 years with a shoulder injury. I have been back to work 2 and a half years and we just cannot seem to get caught up. Every time we start something happens. We’re expecting a tax refund, and Andrea gets reassessed on her previous year and out it goes. We get a bonus at work and all of a sudden the car needs new tires. And now with three kids 4 and a half and under, there seems to be a never ending list of expenses, drapers, pull-ups, formula, prescriptions and more. We had a family member say they were going to give us some money and we budgeted with it in mind, and then it did not happen. Combine that with being on contract currently and not having sick days and missing more than a week with a viral infection and we are really hurting. It just always seems to be one more thing. So in reality we are in a very tight spot and if you could help out it would be appreciated.If not please be praying! Fellow Catholic Dad’s, this past 6 years and getting beat down again and again has been spiritually very tiring. Four years ago I was attending mass almost every day. Now it is intermittent. I was asked to do a weekly book review here, and am struggling spiritually so much, I could not commit to it. To quote Bilbo Baggins “I feel like butter spread over too much bread” It just seems to never let up. I am worn down and no longer know even how to hope. I am struggling to pray and read the word with even an intermittent consistency.

Peace and Strength!
Yours, learning to be
Steven R. McEvoy

My Homepage
My Blog
LinkedIN
Twitter

CompTIA IT PRO, A+ ITT, A+ DT, A+ RST, Network+, Security+
Microsoft MCSE, MCSA, MCP, MCTS, MCITP, MOS
Apple Certified Associate

“The only reason for being a professional writer is that you can’t help it.”
- Leo Rosten

More »

Black As Night
A Fairy Tale Retold
Regina Doman
Chesterton Press
ISBN 9780981931821

Regina Doman is a master story teller. Her books that I have read are like an amazing mug of tea – I take my time and sip them slowly savouring each paragraph, each page. The nuances in her writings are tremendous. Many books that I read I race through because I want to find out what happens next. With Regina’s books I tend to take my time and meander through them, picking them up and reading them in sections over a few days or even weeks. I do not want to miss anything while reading the stories. I also find that based on the Catholic content, they also often drive me to prayer. While reading, friends and family or situations I know about will come to mind and I will pray.

This book could have easily been called Snow White and the Seven Friars. It is a modern fairy tale, and yet also a fairy tale retold. Doman has mastered the art of modernizing the classic fairy tales. The main characters in this story overlap with her earlier book The Shadow of the Bear: Blanche and Rose, two sisters from the Briar family, and Bear and Fish, brothers whose lives have changed drastically since the first book. The brothers, and this time Blanche as well, are being framed for drug possession. Blanche is in hiding and believes she is alone, Bear and Fish are in Europe and her Sister and Mother are visiting family in California. She is staying at the new Friary which was her old school and the next door church. She is helping the 7 friars get organized as they repair the church and school, minister to those around them and she is trying to figure out God’s plan, who is after her and why.

This story is an amazing adventure, with action, romance, and faith all rolled into one tight package. Regina Doman is my favourite contemporary religious author. Her Catholic Fairy Tales Retold is full of amazing stories, that will be great reads for teens, young adults or even adults with an adventuresome heart. Give them a try you will not be disappointed.

Books By Regina Doman:

Fairy Tales Retold:
Snow White and Rose Red (1997)
The Shadow of the Bear (2002)
Black As Night (2004)
Waking Rose (2007)
The Midnight Dancers (2008)
Alex O’Donnell and the 40 Cyber Thieves (2010)

Picture Books:
Angel in the Waters (2004)
Fairy Tale Novel Paper Dolls (2009)

Our Fairy Tale Romance – Andrew Schmiedicke (2009)

(First posted at BookReviewsandMore.ca!)

More »

Regina Doman is a Catholic Artist who wears many different hats. She is an author, editor, producer, wife, mother and more. She took some time from her very busy schedule to answer a few questions for Book Reviews and More. She grew up attending various Catholic, public and private schools. She also graduated from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio with a BA in Communications. She was an editor for Lay Witness magazine, and a contributor to various other publications. Today she still wears many hats and titles, as an editor for Sophia Institute Press and is a public speaker at conferences and school.

1. In Shadow of the Bear you write: “Every once in a while you just have to decide to do something very crazy and very right–just to dare yourself to live. I don’t mean doing something stupid and destructive–just something fun and good and beautiful.” What are some things you have done along this line?

Dressing up as a gypsy and going on a picnic with a bunch of crazy college students – on that picnic I met Anna, who’s one of my best friends, and Ben, who married her and who became my illustrator for Angel in the Waters.

2. Who were some of your biggest supporters and contributors to your early success?

Lots and lots of people, beginning with my parents, the folks at YOU magazine, Catholics United for the Faith, and Our Sunday Visitor who gave me my first jobs in writing and editing. But Bethelehem Books did me a huge favor when they consented to read my recently-finished MS of what became The Shadow of the Bear.

3. What of your books was the hardest to write and why?

Black as Night. See the website for why.

4. Completely off topic but what TV shows or movies do you enjoy?

Don’t have TV. The Scarlet Pimpernel (with Jane Seymour) is perhaps my favorite movie. I also enjoy the writing and cleverness of the TV series Monk.

5. If you could only recommend 10 books to a reader looking to be a well rounded and whole person what books would you suggest?

Hard one! Well, the top ten books that have influenced me outside of the Bible –
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
The Immaculate Conception and the Holy Spirit: the Marian Teachings of Maximilian Kolbe
The Rise and Fall of the Communist Revolution by Warren Carroll
The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri
How to Really Love Your Child by Ross Campbell
Jewish Identity by Elias Friedman
Fiction:
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis

That’s only a sampling.

6. As both an author and editor you wear a few different hats in the publishing industry. Is it hard splitting your time down these two lines?

Yes, and I’m finding it harder and harder to write my own books as my editing work increases.

7. What advice do you wish an artist had passed on to you early in your career, which you only learned through experience?

What publisher’s submission guidelines actually mean (it’s not always what they say). And what makes a story work. It was Jan Batchler which led me to understand that process.

9. What fiction books or authors do you enjoy or recommend?

In addition to the above, the Harry Potter books and JRR Tolkien’s Silmarillion. I love mythology and like reading works in that style, such as Padraic Colum’s books.

10. What current projects are you working on or are in the back burner in some stage of development as an author?

A new fiction for adults, and another fairy tale novel.

11. What current projects are you working on or are in the back burner in some stage of development as an editor?

Continuing to develop Sophia’s fiction line. The Spanish Match by Brian Pursell and the sequel to Bleeder, VIPER by John Desjarlais are two books I’m trying to get out the door.

12. Your books are not currently available in electronic formats but many publishers are now starting to almost make this standard practice. What are your impressions of ebooks?

I’d love to get all my books in that format. Amazon is taking forever to do conversions, so we’re trying to work though a smaller vendor for that.

13. With eBooks come the distribution of them through torrents and other illegal means, is this a concern for you, both as an author and editor?

Nope.

14. If you were stuck on a desert island and could only have 10 books to read again and again, what books would you want with you?

See the above list. #5

15. What advice would you give to young aspiring authors and artists particularly those looking to have their art reflect their faith?

Dedicate your talent to God, and trust where He is taking you with it.

Thanks you again Regina for taking the time to interact with the readers at Book Reviews and More and Catholic Dad’s Online. I can personally recommend your books as excellent reads.

Book by Regina Doman:

Fairy Tales Retold:
Snow White and Rose Red (1997)
Shadow Of The Bear (2002)
Black As Night (2004)
Waking Rose (2007)
Midnight Dancers (2008)
Alex O’Donnell and the 40 Cyber Thieves (2010)

Picture Books:
Angels in the Water (2004)
Fairy Tale Novel Paper Dolls (2009)

Our Fairy Tale Romance – Andrew Schmiedicke (2009)

More »