Tag Archives: catholic romance fiction

Author Interview with Therese Heckenkamp

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Today Catholic author Carolyn Astfalk interviews fellow author Therese Heckenkamp about her three Catholic suspense novels and the writing process.

“As a Christian writer, I keep in mind there was a Good Friday with intense pain and suffering before the glory of Easter Sunday.”

“A great thing about tapping the spiritual aspects is that it offers an additional layer of story opportunities that secular fiction misses.”

Read the full interview here on Carolyn’s blog My Scribbler’s Heart: Interview with Romantic Suspense Author Therese Heckenkamp

While browsing Carolyn’s author website Relevant Fiction for Body & Soul, also be sure to check out her Catholic inspirational romance novels Stay with Me and Ornamental Graces.

New Release: A Perfectly Good Man

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A brand new inspirational romance featuring a Catholic heroine!


A Perfectly Good Man (Coffee and Donuts Book 3)
by Amanda Hamm

Heidi Ray has a decision to make. It’s a decision she probably should have made before she accepted the engagement ring. But Tyler is a good man. Why wouldn’t she want to marry him? After much prayer and reflection, several of Heidi’s relationships begin to look different.

Available in paperback and as a Kindle ebook.

The Rosary: A Novel

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Read the timeless love story of Richard Lawton and Kate O’Connor…

The Rosary by Barbara L. Monahan

Richard takes Kate to their senior prom and dates her after graduation. He intends to marry her after he completes his studies at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. Richard is Methodist; Kate is Catholic.

While he is away at art school, Kate falls in love with Mike Flannigan, a Catholic, and marries him. Richard is brokenhearted. Shortly after he receives this news, he marries on the rebound.

Forty years pass. Richard is given the opportunity to enter Kate’s life again, and he takes it, hoping the two of them can finally be together. This time his rival is not another man but the doctrine of the Catholic Church.

Will Richard and Kate ever find happiness as man and wife?

The Rosary is available in paperback and as a Kindle ebook.

About the author:
Barbara L. Monahan, author of The Rosary, at the age of forty-nine, entered college as a night student and earned a Bachelor of Arts. At the age of sixty-five, while employed as administrator and teacher at a Catholic elementary school, she completed a Master of Science in Education. At the age of seventy-three, she wrote for a weekly newspaper for six years. She has been published in Woman’s Day, Catholic Digest and numerous Catholic publications. Currently, she works for an international firm as a merchandiser. The Rosary is her first novel, published two days before her 80th birthday.

Book Review: Stay With Me

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Stay With Me by Carolyn Astfalk is a poignant and believable
love story about two young adults from very different backgrounds.

Rebecca has lived a sheltered life under her domineering father in an alcohol-free home where dancing is frowned upon and religion is oppressive, not inspiring. Weighed down by her past, Rebecca is hesitant to live life fully. Chris, a Harley-rider and a new convert to Catholicism, opens up a beautiful new world to her. Still, life isn’t without dangers and trials as the new couple navigate their blossoming romance. Kind hearts and good intentions aren’t always enough, especially when faced with heart-rending challenges and temptations. When tested to the limit, will their love survive?

The characters are richly depicted and memorable, including the secondary characters. I particularly enjoyed Rebecca’s brash sister Abby, with her unrestrained opinions and off-beat ways. Also, I appreciated how Father John, despite being a priest, came across as a very real person with his owns trials and tribulations.

The story is sprinkled with humor and contains the perfect balance of reality and sweetness—and sometimes bittersweetness. The author deftly avoids sappy clichés, and her writing entertains while radiating substance and depth.

Stay With Me is a journey of discovery, forgiveness, and redemption—a beautiful journey of two hearts that long to beat as one.

Stay With Me is available in paperback and as a Kindle ebook.