Catholic Writing and Publishing – Page 23

The Kids Need a Bed Tonight

July 5, 2016/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

I had planned to post something about writing this month but I have been diverted. Hope you don’t mind.

I have been a member of the St. Vincent dePaul Society for a long time. In case you did not know this, this organization (now worldwide) was started by a 20 year old student at the University of Paris back in 1833. The young man’s name was Frederick Ozanam and he had been challenged by the modern day “secularists” to “practice what he preached.” So he went out to the street, gave away his coat (it was winter), and he and four friends began the society which they named after St. Vincent dePaul who was known for his work with the poor. Frederick was beatified in 1997 and his is a story for another day.

For today though, I just thought I would link to an article from Aleteia Magazine which spotlighted a story I wrote about one morning a number of years ago working at the St. Vincent dePaul outreach office in downtown St. Petersburg, FL. The story is true and it will give you a look behind the scenes at some of the work Vincentians do. Hope you like it.

Hope you all had a great 4th of July. God bless you all.

The kids need a bed tonight.

The Mysterious Entity Called Inspiration

June 7, 2016/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

Someone asked me once about where my inspiration to write something originates. I had never really thought about it, so the following is what I came up with:

First of all, I really do not think that I was inspired to write or to be a writer. As a kid, I just liked to write “stuff.” I believe the inspiration comes after the fact. For example, two six-year-olds might simultaneously begin taking piano lessons. One has no interest and just goes through the motions. The other is intrigued and plods forward. The first falls by the wayside. The second begins to play and understand the music and the instrument. Lo and behold, here comes the inspiration to help him create his own music, to tap those keys, making his own sound in his own way.

The way I see it, inspiration is triggered by the people, places and things that we encounter and experience. Then inspiration takes on a life of its own as its owner (you or I) lets it journey forward, creating “something” different and unique to us.

A friend of mine might introduce me to a friend of theirs and my mind will begin a journey, intrigued by the way that person said, “Hello,” or by the manner in which they looked at me or the clothes they were wearing or whether or not their shoulders were slouched. They will be placed in my memory bank for future reference as a possible character, and I do not even know it at that moment in time. Someone else would never give that person a second thought. But the red shoes my friend was wearing may give the guy he introduced me to an idea for a different type of shoe.

So, for me as a writer, the inspiration to write about different things and say things in my own way came about because I liked to write to begin with. I scribbled this and I scribbled that and kept on scribbling. For me, there were long pauses between the scribbles but I never lost the desire to scribble and kept at it. It took me almost fifty years after my first scribbles to actually begin scribbling most every day.

In the final analysis we are all different, all unique, and I guess we all have inspiration that fits who we are. Some of us join forces with our inspiration (some call it the muse), others may talk about it for a while, and others ignore it completely. We certainly are interesting creatures.

Evangelizing: Since I Have No Pulpit I Use the Written Word and Social Media

May 3, 2016/1 Comment/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

Monday, April 25th, we celebrated the feast of the St. Mark the Evangelist. Mark (sometimes referred to as John Mark) wrote the first and the shortest gospel. The Entrance Antiphon for the Mass that day was as follows: “Go into the world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature, alleluia.” (Mark 16:15)

Pope Francis, in Evangelli Gaudium, encourages all of us to NOT keep the faith to ourselves but to go forth and transform the world to Christ. The Holy Father wants a church of missionary disciples. Following the Pope’s lead, the young priest in our parish, Father Dan, gave a homily on St. Mark’s feast day, exhorting us all to go forth and proclaim the Good News—to everyone.

Pope Francis has a “bully pulpit.” So does Father Dan. They are expected to preach these things to us. I can only speak for myself but I do NOT have a “bully pulpit.” I do have a few plastic milk crates in the garage but I do not have the courage to set them down on a busy street corner or at a mall and start preaching to passers-by. (In today’s day and age I would probably get locked up as an intolerant loon, although that would not bother me.) The point is, it is not easy for us lay people to proselytize and/or preach the Good News unless we have a somewhat captive audience.

Those of us here at the CWG can interact with each other (whether it be one on one or in a group) about Catholic stuff. We can rail on about the secular attacks on our faith, have differences of opinion and post our deepest feelings that oftentimes come out in our written words. CWG can be our “bully pulpit.” So can a CCD class, or a Legion of Mary meeting, a Knights of Columbus meeting or even a simple bible study in the parish hall or someone’s home. But in all of those examples we are, as the cliche goes, “preaching to the choir.” How do we proselytize and spread the Good news? I have my own method I will share and it is very simple. (It has definitely cost me friends, but so be it.)

I assume that most of us being writers, besides using the written word, also use some social media (which may include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or others.) I have accounts on all of them but I do not understand Pinterest yet and rarely go to LinkedIn. I do use Facebook and Twitter. And I use them to perform my own feeble efforts to evangelize.

Every day (well, almost every day) I post something Catholic/Christian on Facebook and Twitter. I will place quotes from saints with their pictures, or links to Catholic/Christian stories and so forth. Today I posted a picture of a two year old girl named Ida, who was killed in the Holocaust. I posted little Ida’s photo because this is Passover week and all our Catholic beginnings come from Judaism (people and customs). We are joined at the hip with Judaism. Plus, I am writing Catholic/Christian fiction and I am blogging Catholic/Christian themes which I post on social media.

Anyway, that is how I try to evangelize. I know no other way. And yes, my list of “friends” include many Catholic/Christians, many non-Christians, some agnostics and two known atheists. My “friends” list has dwindled for sure (some folks whom I have known for decades no longer interact) but it has also expanded. It is in constant flux. No matter–I am evangelizing the only way I know how.

In conclusion, if you do Facebook or Twitter or any of the other social media you can get a bit creative and spread the Good News right there. If you have any ideas on ways to evangelize to those we do not know, I would love to hear some.

Planets, Dr. Seuss and Snowflakes—Combined Proof That There is a CREATOR

April 5, 2016/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

Ten years ago, NASA’s new, Horizon Spacecraft left our humble, little planet and began its voyage to to the edges of our solar system and beyond. After traveling 3 billion-plus miles, New Horizon finally passed Pluto, the furthest planet from our sun. I don’t know about you but I find it so humbling and awe inspiring that we human beings, using the perfection that surrounds us, can mange to find a planet that is so far away. Yet, within our universe, it would be as close as a neighbor down the street.

How can we possibly know how to measure distance and location and density and climate relating to places that are so unimaginably far away? The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second. Who figured that out? How do you measure the speed of light? Assuming the number is correct, that means in one minute light travels 11+ million miles. That would be almost 16 billion miles in one day. Multiply that number by four and a half years. Do you see where I’m going with this? The light from our own sun takes eight minutes to reach Earth. Now scientists have found an “exoplanet” which is more than a thousand light years away and they have figured out that it revolves around its sun in 385 days vs our 365 days. WHEW!

Let’s move past Pluto. It seems NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope, launched in 2009, found this exoplanet; they named it Kepler 452b. This exoplanet could be similar to our hometown, Earth. “Hello sister planet, Kepler 452b.” The Kepler Telescope has identified close to 5000 exoplanets since it started scanning the deepest parts of space. But this is the first one that could be just like Earth. Now, get this–it is one thousand and four light years away. Our closest star system is Alpha Centauri, a mere 4.3 light years away. That means our closest star system is trillions of miles from our solar system and would take us tens of thousands of years to get there. Kepler 452b is 200 times further than that. My question is–how can we know these things?

By NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

What about Earth? Think of some of the things that Earth does without us thinking about them. Here is one example; we never think about TIME but without its never ending accuracy we would have chaos. There are 24 hours in a day. Not 25 or 23 or 24.8, but 24. What if there were a random number of hours in a day? Imagine the possibilities? So how did we get 24 hours in a day? One word can answer that question, “perfection.”

What about explosions? (Please bear with me–I do intend to make a point.) Explosions are destructive and, for the most part, maim, kill and destroy. Last Fourth of July a guy in Maine, in a festive frame of mind, brilliantly set a rocket off from the top of his head. He died instantly. Jason Pierre Paul, the all-pro defensive star for the NFL’s N.Y. Giants, blew several fingers off his hand with fireworks. C. J. Wilson, of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, retired because he blew several fingers of his hand with fireworks. We can go back 70 years and remember that on August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb blew the Japanese city of Hiroshima to smithereens. It also killed about 80,000 people. It follows that if I set a bomb off in my car the chances of the result being a nicer car are–well, ZERO.

So now–to the point. The Big Bang Theory of Creation has become the favored explanation of how our seemingly infinite universe came into existence. Scientists do agree that the universe did, in fact, have a beginning. They also know that the universe is expanding and changing and dying, just like we do. To the question: At the moment of creation when the unimaginable explosion took place or whether it was something like a giant balloon expanding and expanding until it “popped” spewing matter outwards, it all had to be controlled. Who did that?

Random explosions do not and cannot result in perfection. Twenty-four hours in a day is perfect for us imperfect species to depend on, including the animals. It is a contradiction to believe otherwise. Perfection surrounds us. We can predict the rising and setting of the sun to the second, the new and full moons to the minute. We know when the tides rise and fall and can predict their lowest and highest points to the minute. We know when an eclipse, whether solar or lunar will occur and where. We have learned how to use the world around us to maintain our very existence or, in many cases, destroy it.

Bottom line: because the universe is so vast and expansive (and apparently infinite) and all of it is moving and changing within a perfectly ordered system proves someone bigger and smarter than any of us put this in place. We cannot understand this. We cannot scientifically prove it. But, no matter what, we live in it and survive by it every second of every day of our lives. Perfection does not come from chaos. Perfection can only come from someone who is PERFECT. We here at the CWG know who that Person is even though we cannot see HIM or touch HIM. All we have to do is see a rising sun, a blooming rose, a full moon, a rainbow…or hear the cry of a newborn baby or ponder the magic of one snowflake, unique unto itself.

Maybe Dr. Seuss nailed it in his famous book, Horton Hears a Who. Maybe our planet Earth is really no bigger than Horton’s “Whoville.” Maybe we are specks on the end of a ball of dust. Maybe we are not as big and as smart as we think we are. We had to have a Creator. It is common sense. It is ultimately all in HIS hands. I am also sure HE subscribes to the famous sentence in Dr. Seuss’s book, “a person’s a person no matter how small.” Maybe those very “smart” people who reject what must be so need to breathe in a deep dose of humility and realize that this all did not just happen as the result of some random explosion or expansion. It is illogical and makes no sense (to me).

©LarryPeterson 2016

How the Catholic Writers Conference Made a Gardener into a Writer

February 20, 2016/1 Comment/in Catholic Writers Conference Live, Catholic Writers Conference Online, Catholic Writers Guild, Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Karina Fabian

CWCOicon

Registration is still open for the Catholic Writers Conference Online, March 4-6. Get the details and sign up here.

Attending a writing conference is an investment of time and money. How can you be sure you’ll get anything from it? The Catholic Writers Guild has had dozens of success stories, from writers who found their inspiration to those who landed book contracts. One of the most touching and inspiring stories is that of Guild member Margaret Realy. But we’ll let her tell you:

How could I possibly glorify the Lord by writing? I was only a gardener, and rapidly losing my identity as one because of encroaching arthritic disability.

The life change from landscapes to laptops was nothing I had anticipated. It began in the Adoration chapel with tearful prayers for direction and guidance. That guidance came through the Catholic Writers Guild.

In 2009 when I attended the CWG Live Conference, I set aside my fears and entered the unfamiliar world of publishing. I listened intently to those who guided me into an industry I knew nothing about.

There were seminars, workshops, and pitch sessions. I was introduced to professional writers and acquisition editors. Each opportunity that the CWG offered, I seized. As an introvert, the hardest event to manage—and most significant—was the informal networking that took place in hallways and at meals.

Through the guidance of Guild members and their willingness to mentor, my anxiety and insecurities began to lessen. My words became manuscripts which became book summaries and proposals. These were groomed for pitch sessions through the CWG support system.

The graces and blessings of the Guild have allowed me to develop as a writer, to serve God with words instead of a trowel. Left to my own devices, I would never have realized the seed planted in me to be a spiritual gardening author. The CWG members gave breath to my prayers.

Margaret Rose Realy, Obl. OSB, is a lay hermit and award winning author of three books: A Garden of Visible Prayer, Cultivating God’s Garden through Lent, and A Catholic Gardener’s Spiritual Almanac. She is a columnist, presenter, retreat leader, and a regular contributor to Aleteia, Catholic Mom, and Catholic Digest. Margaret blogs at Morning Rose Prayer Gardens on Patheos.

Margaret’s amazing transformation came at the live conference, but others have found blessings at the online one as well. The online conference offers instruction, networking, and even pitch session opportunities at a fraction of the cost and without the hassle of travel.

If you haven’t signed up yet, do it now. Go to http://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=EC51DE87844F3B and fill out the form. We’ll see you there!

Why Attend an Online Conference Like CWCO2016?

February 13, 2016/0 Comments/in Catholic Writers Conference Online, Catholic Writers Guild, Catholic Writing and Publishing, CWG member benefits, fiction, The Writing Life/by Karina Fabian

CWCOicon CWCO2016 is almost here! It’s set for March 4-6, and all the terrific details are at http://catholicwritersconference.com. It’s $40 for nonmembers, $25 for CWG members. Drop by the website and register soon. Registration ends Feb 27 or when we get 200 attendees.

It’s been a long haul for Laura Lowder and I. We’ve been recruiting speakers for months, working on the new webinar software and putting together a huge amount of publicity and training materials we’ll be sharing with attendees. We have 24 presentations and 6 pitch sessions with Catholic and secular publishers.

I’d like to share with you why I feel so strongly about this conference.

In 2007, I attended my first writing conference. What an experience! I sharpened my skills as a writer and was introduced to the then-new world of internet marketing. I sold my first novel to a small press publisher. I – an introvert who seldom socialized – attended a huge party and laughed for hours. To top it all off, I made connections that have pushed my publishing career forward and made friends that I can still depend upon for help or companionship.

But the most amazing thing? The conference was completely online!

Have you ever wished you could attend a conference, learn from the writers who had been there/done that and succeeded, meet publishers and make friends who identify with your passion for words?

Have you ever had to push that dream aside because live conferences don’t work for you? They may be too expensive, involve travel that takes you away from work or family…or maybe it’s too far beyond your comfort zone to talk to complete strangers.

I’ve been there. I know how much easier it is to correspond, where I can think about my responses and not whether I’ve spilled something on my shirt or if my face “looks wrong.” My husband, Rob was working at the Pentagon, which meant LONG hours, so I could hardly leave the four kids for several days. Plus, we had enough bills without plane tickets and hotel fares. That first online conference changed my life and career. I wanted to do that for others.

But with the help of the Guild, I could do that. Ann Lewis and I started the first online conferences, and when she began the live ones, Laura Lower stepped in to co-chair the online ones with me. With Laura’s influence, we’ve given the conference a greater Catholic identity. Not only do we have excellent workshops on writing and marketing fiction and nonfiction, but we have presentations with a Catholic angle including theology, prayer and fellowship that is uniquely for our faith.

Our 2016 CWCO is coming March 4-6, and this year, we’re entering the 21^st century with webinar presentations. If you can watch YouTube or use a chat like Facebook Messenger, then you have all the skills you need to participate. We have presenters covering all aspects of writing, faith and literature.

Are you ready to take your writing to the next level? Let us help you! Sign up for the CWCO 2016 today!

http://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=EC51DE87844F3B

The Catholic Writers Conference Online is Coming Soon

February 7, 2016/0 Comments/in Catholic Fiction, Catholic Theme, Catholic Writers Conference Online, Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Karina Fabian

It’s almost here! CWCO – the biennial online conference for writers – is set for March 4-6. 2016. This faith-focused authors conference offers presentations covering all aspects of writing from finding your calling as a writer to publishing and marketing your books. There will also be online pitch sessions with noted Catholic publishers and secular publishers.

Attendees must register by Feb 27 at on the CWCO website or this direct link. However, if we get 200 attendees, we will close registration early. Don’t delay!

This year, the conference will be held using webinar software, making the experience more personal and immediate.

“We’ve had people asking for webinar formats in the past, but this is the first year we felt comfortable with the technology and the ability of our attendees to stream live presentations,” said organizer Karina Fabian. Fabian said the workshops offer terrific opportunities to ask in-depth questions and get feedback from knowledgeable instructors.

This year’s sessions include an emphasis on the faith aspects of writing no matter what the genre. Speakers like Gary Zimak, author of Faith, Hope and Clarity; Joe Wetterling, President of the Catholic Writer’s Guild, horror author Jonathan Ryan and others will speak on writing as a calling, a literary revolution, and an evangelization. In addition, there are practical workshops including legal issues, techniques for characterization and plotting, how to journal, and time management.

Pitch sessions give authors with finished books a chance to personally interest a publisher. Pitch sessions include well known Catholic publishers like Servant Books and Ligouri, smaller presses like Liberty Island and Dragon Moon Press, and ebook publishers like eTreasures. (Find the still-growing list here.)

“Every year, we hear back from an author who finished a book, started a project, or got a publishing contract thanks to the Catholic Writers’ Conference Online. Plus people make contacts and good friends. It’s a terrific opportunity, especially for those who can’t afford to attend a live conference,” Fabian said.

This year’s conference is $40; $25 for members of the Catholic Writers’ Guild. To register or for more information, go to http://www.catholicwritersconference.com.

Onward & Forward into 2016—‘Laughing Still Allowed’

January 5, 2016/5 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Family Life, Love, The Writing Life/by Larry Peterson

by Larry Peterson

I had written sporadically over the years but I really started my ”prolific,” overzealous writing career in earnest about seven or eight years ago. I had taken C.S. Lewis’ advice and grabbed onto his quote, “You are never too OLD to set a new GOAL or to dream a new DREAM.” So I pulled out the old work I had squirreled away and before I could sharpen a pencil my expanding internal dictionary of adjectives was stopped in its tracks. I had to be operated on for prostate cancer.

The recovery process was a bit tough (part of that included having 30 staples plucked out of my forbidden zone, which was not pleasant, nor was catheter removal) but, no problem—the cancer was gone and still is seven years later. God obviously was not ready for me. So, I headed back to the keyboard and mouse. I thanked Him then and I have thanked Him every day since.

Then Martha was diagnosed with Lymphoma. Onward into the world of chemotherapy cycles which included her losing her hair, not once but twice. The second time she asked me to just shave her head and get it over with. I did and we laughed as she turned into cue ball redux. Then her memory began to produce strange and forgetful behavior. I thought it was “chemo-brain” but it wasn’t. During that time I managed to have a children’s book published, followed by my novel. (That publisher went out of business—another story for another time).

Ratcheting up my caregiver duties, I still completed another novel called “Destination Homeless.” That was about two years ago and all I have “left to do” is a final edit. I also have my latest novel almost done; it has a publisher and is already out on Amazon in volume form. Plus, over the years, I have written over 600 blogs. I had written more than I thought, which surprised me because it seemed like I was never getting anything done.

Anyway, a year ago I wrote an article for the CWG blog titled, “Celebrating Our First Christmas with Alzheimer’s Disease: Laughter Allowed.” Martha’s cognitive problems had started about a year and a half prior to that time so, as we march onward into 2016, we are about two and a half years down the Alzheimer road. Things are not the same as they were even a year ago. (Alzheimer’s Disease is one illness that cannot be cured, stopped, or even slowed).

Last year’s blog had in its title the words, “Laughter Allowed.” Well, for the past three (maybe four or five) months my writing has seemingly run into a major obstacle. There was a large brick wall in front of me and I was unable to type past it. The blogs became fewer and the novel was stuck in neutral. I was actually getting a bit freaked out about it and beginning to worry that I was turning into sludge. I was probably being a bit hard on myself because when you take care of an Alzheimer’s patient and do the shopping, the cooking, the daily distribution of various meds 4X a day, deal with all the doctors (scheduling, visits, weekly blood draws, port flushes etc.), do the bill paying, home maintenance, etc., and then try to find “quiet” time to fit writing into the equation, that is when you can suddenly go blank. I did. Then came Thanksgiving.

The family all got together at Larry Jr’s. My three kids were there and my seven grandkids and we all had a grand time eating all the traditional Thanksgiving foods, watching football and hanging out together. On the way home Marty said to me, “What are we having for dinner?”

Actually, for a moment, I thought she was making a joke. But she wasn’t you see. She did not remember. I said, “Are you kidding me? We just had turkey and all the fixings for Thanksgiving. Don’t you remember? We just left Larry’s house five minutes ago.” Then the reality of the moment hit… Damn, I do hate Alzheimer’s Disease. Anyway, she looked at me and I at her and we both began to laugh. As ridiculous as it sounds it was a great moment for both of us. Then I remembered—“Laughter allowed.”

Christmas is now over and I am writing this and I am extra thankful for Thanksgiving 2015. That day helped me snap back to the words in the title of last year’s blog. Laughing freed me up and I have actually spent some time on the final chapter of the Demons of Abadon. As for my dear wife, Martha, she is somewhat content in her own convoluted world. She does not remember Christmas Day. However, strange as it may seem, everything is okay. That is because on Thanksgiving Night, 2015, our unexpected and improbable friend, Laughter, returned. (I like to think it was a Christmas angel sent from above to help us out).

Once again I have relearned something I already knew and let slip by—no matter what is happening, when you have faith—laughing is allowed. It is God’s pressure relief valve and He installed one of these valves in each of us. More people need to let it go off once in a while. That’s it for 2015. Happy New Year, happy writing and God’s blessings to you all.

Word Rambling towards Christmas

December 1, 2015/2 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

I do not mean to “word ramble” here but I just realized that the first Tuesday of the month is a few days away. That is also my CWG blog post date. Bottom line–this Catholic writer has nothing to offer here, nothing except rambling meanderings. Yeah, I know, Tuesday is still a few days away but I have to get this to Barb to edit and post. However, I’m out of here at noon today, tomorrow is shot and I cannot, in good conscience, send her something Monday–so, here you go.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love the season and the meaning and the Baby Jesus, the awe in the faces of so many children and the extra smiles that come from the wonder; I love the cookies and candy and cake and even some of the anxiety and pressure and insanity that mixes in as we move forward. I even love eggnog.

More than anything, I love thinking about our Blessed Mother, a young girl, almost full-term in her pregnancy, having to travel on the back of a donkey for over 80 miles to fulfill the census law. I marvel at her husband who must have just loved her so much that he was willing to accept this Child as his own. He protected them with his life and made sure that the Savior of all mankind lived to complete His mission. This was, after all, a very different time culturally. Mary’s alternative could have been death by stoning. Thank you, St. Joseph. Thank you, Mother Mary. Thank you, Jesus.

I began this day at 5 AM, preparing my wife’s medications for the week. There are fourteen different pills she takes at different times during the day for varied reasons and I do this every week. So, I pour a cup of coffee and spread the pill bottles in a row in front of my still-squinty eyes. I have a pill box with four rows of sevens so I can prepare meds for the entire week. The morning row gets five pills in each box, the noon row gets four, etc. When I am finished there are 112 pills sorted out for the week. I am proud of my system…most of the time.

I finish placing the the last pills in place and reach over to get the coffee. Ah yes, life is always an adventure. You know I knocked over the coffee, right? As I did, I leaned onto the pill box and it flipped, ever so gracefully, end over end into the air spraying its newly received contents everywhere. Okay–you get the picture. Pills on the floor, pills on the table floating in coffee (too bad they were not donuts) and me staring, mouth hung open, in disbelief. However, God has blessed me with a sense of humor. I took a breath and began to laugh. Then I created some dialogue for the moment. I raised my hands, looked out across my random pill and coffee display, and said, “You are an idiot!” Then I laughed some more and began Round Two of the weekly pill dissemination. That time I succeeded.

I will finish this up by telling you I made it to eight o’clock Mass with the wife at my side. What better way to start a day, right? I have no idea how the rest of this day will play out. No matter what, it will be OK. The Season of Advent is upon us. In closing, I would like to wish you all a beautiful, blessed, healthy and joy-filled Christmas.

“Celebrate the feast of Christmas every day, even every moment in the interior temple of your spirit, remaining like a baby in the bosom of the heavenly Father, where you will be reborn each moment in the Divine Word, Jesus Christ.”
St. Paul of the Cross (Catholicquotes.org)

From the President’s Desk – Success, Faithfulness and Farewell

November 27, 2015/6 Comments/in Catholic Fiction, Catholic Writing and Publishing, CWG Member News, Fiction/by Ellen Gable Hrkach

At the 2015 Catholic Writers Retreat in Michigan!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone had a wonderful feast yesterday.

Catholic Writers Retreat: I’d like to thank all the attendees, presenters and organizers of the Catholic Writers Retreat. We all had a wonderful time writing, praying and socializing! Special thanks to Margaret Realy for organizing this wonderful event.

Blessed Mother Teresa once said, “We are not called to be successful. We are called to be faithful.”

In about four days, I will no longer be president of the Catholic Writers Guild so this will be my last “From the President’s Desk” post.

When I first discovered the Catholic Writers Online group, and later, the Catholic Writers Guild, I truly felt like I had come home. I was so happy to be a part of a group of faithful Catholic writers. I hadn’t really thought much about “success.” I just wanted to write. And I just wanted to be faithful to my Catholic faith. At the time, there were only about 40 members of the Guild. In the eight years since I’ve been a active member, our membership has grown to over 500 members.

When I was asked to run as vice president in 2010, I readily agreed. Later, when I was asked to run for president, after a short discernment process, I readily agreed. Of course, I had no idea what was in store for me. Being president of this non-profit, mostly volunteer organization has had its share of challenges, but I’ve learned so much and I’ve gained many lifelong friendships.

I owe a tremendous gratitude to everyone in the Guild. Thanks especially to Ann Margaret Lewis (founding member and past president), who was always available to listen when I needed to chat, Karina Fabian (original president of the Guild), and the current members of the board: Dave Shaw (secretary), Karl Erickson (treasurer), Nancy Ward (committee coordinator), and Arthur Powers (VP and founding member).

Although I joined the Guild to be with like-minded faithful Catholic writers, I was surprised to find that much of what I’ve learned from Guild members over the past eight years has contributed to whatever “success” I’ve been fortunate to have. In the early years, I attended online conferences and chats. Later, I attended and helped to organize the live conferences. The success I’ve had as a writer has been the direct result of my involvement with the Guild. My books have been collectively downloaded over 625,000 times on Kindle. All of my novels have spent time on various Amazon Kindle bestsellers’ lists (In 2012, my novel, Stealing Jenny, was either #1 or #2 in several categories for 40 weeks of that year). I’ve been on EWTN’s Bookmark three different times and other TV and radio shows. And I’m actually making a modest supplemental income from my novels.

That success aside, my time as the president of the Guild, has been spent being faithful not only to the magisterium of the Catholic Church, but also to the values of our wonderful organization.

I won’t be leaving the Guild, however! I intend to remain on two very busy committees: the Seal of Approval and the Live Conference committees. I have a new job as the marketing director for a wonderful Catholic apostolate that promotes the regular practice of fasting. I write for the Live the Fast blog and newsletter; I write press releases and, best of all, from my regular practice of fasting, I’ve grown stronger in my faith (and even lost 10 pounds!).

Fellow CWG member and New Jersey native, Joe Wetterling, will be your new president. I’ve worked with Joe on three different committees. Besides being witty and knowledgeable about a variety of topics, Joe is level-headed and dependable. A little bit about Joe, in case you don’t know him:

Joe Wetterling is a professional educator and writer. During the day, his work includes performance improvement, technical training, and editing for the Temple University Health System. At home, Joe teaches the faith at his blog Ho Kai Paulos, comments on religious themes in fantasy and sci-fi at Baptized Imagination, and makes everything relate to Latin while helping homeschool his son. He’s a member of the Militia Immaculata. At the Catholic Writers Guild, Joe participates in blog editing, the Seal of Approval review process, and the CALA. Learn more about him at JoeWetterling.com.

Please take a moment over the next several weeks to welcome Joe to this challenging — yet fulfilling — position.

It has been my privilege and honor to serve as your president for three years and to serve on the Catholic Writers Guild board for five years. I look forward to continuing to be a part of this wonderful organization.

In Jesus and Mary,

Ellen Gable Hrkach