My tribute to Mom in "Celebrate Life" magazine is out

I wrote "Three Generations for Life" a tribute to how my mother's example as a woman of prayer and pro-life action led to my activism and prayer, and that of her grandaughters. I share how, amidst her cheerful energy at  her final March for Life, in 2009, she was suffering from undected cancer which sent her home to Our Lord within 9 months.

Now she is reaping the rewards of a life well lived for the cause of the Gospel of Life.

You can see Celebrate Life magazine here, but you can only view my piece in the print edition. On the cover is a lovely photo of another pro-life activist who went home this year, Dr Mildred Jefferson.

Two steps away from fame

If you read Michelle Malkin's brilliant piece on the Philadelphia horror, Dr Kermit Gosnell, you will she that she quotes from The Anchoress. article on Gosnell, calling it a 'must read'. In her article on abortion and the Gosnell scandal, The Anchoress, quotes from my Patheos column, "No More Mental Retardation, So?"
Being only two links from Michelle Malkin was an honor and, becaue of that,  my Patheos column shot up to the top ten.
That and the fact that I had my first EWTN interview at the March for Life are breathtaking opportunities to remember the generosity of God. You say "yes" to Him and the results will surpass your wildest imagination.

My column at the Ethiopian Review

Yes, you read that right, the Ethiopian Review. I did a double take myself.
Someone there is a Catholic, because, for the second time, my column at Catholic Mom has been copied and reposted there.
How do you say Merry Christmas in Ethiopian?

I just returned from the Catholic Marketing Network

Lisa Hendey was quick to upload this photo to Facebook, with yours truly, Lisa, Ebeth Weidner, and Kristina Bothur. It was great to meet you Ebeth and Lisa!

The Word Made Flesh

It was a weekend full of inspiration for writers at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, NY where the first annual LI Catholic Writer's Conference was held.
 I met old friends Lisa Mladinich, founder of LI Catholic Writers,  Alice Gunther, MacBeth Derham, Mary Ellen Barrett, Catherine Cammarata,Michele Merrinan Berg,  and Dawn Eskew. I was able to renew my friendship with award winning children's author Josephine Nobisso of Gingerbread House Books (read my review of Take it to the Queen), and Among Women podcaster and Faith and Family contributor Pat Gohn, whose presentation encouraging writers to use social networking lit a fire under the audience, many of whom have connected with me since then. Pat has had me on her Among Women podcast twice and has been a mentor and cheerleader for me in my writing career. She garnered quite a few more mentorees with her dynamic presentation.
I was honored to finally meet  Elizabeth Scalia, that insightful columnist  known widely as The Anchoress over at First Things, and Celeste Behe of Faith and Family. I had the pleasure of listening to Michael Behe describe his book "Darwin's Black Box" at a CHAPLET Conference,  now I know where his inspiration comes from! Nice to meet such seasoned professionals in person.
New to the blogging scene, but certainly a rising star is Dr Gerard Nadal, PhD whose blog Coming Home has made him both friends and enemies by his courageous defense of human life. I had the honor of introducing him to Theresa Bonapartis, the directer of Lumina post abortion ministries affiliated with the Sisters of Life.
Catholic Writer's Guild president Ann Lewis made it all the way from Ohio, and we had time for a chat about the Catholic Arts and Letters Award, on whose committee I serve. She gave the CALA award to Long Island Catholic editor Rick Hinshaw, the keynote speaker. Monsignor Fink gave an oustanding homily a the Mass with extensive references to Tolkien's Ring Trilogy, reminding us that our writing contributes to the music of God's creation, and will be heard in heaven.
Many thanks to Peggy Clores, Alice Gunther and Lisa Mladinich whose tireless dedication made this conference possible, take a bow ladies!
Here is the Diocese of Brooklyn's net TV coverage of the conference in it's Currents program.
Read Pat Gohn's post at Among Women.

Among all these celebrated writers, I must mention Gabriela, my lovely seventeen year old whose essay My Sister is Special which won first place in the Diocesan Respect Life Essay Contest has been reprinted more times than I can count. First the Spanish diocesan paper Fe Feurza Y Vida translated it, then editor Marta Moscosa suggested a youth column be started in the Long Island Catholic. As soon as he took over as editor, Rick Hinshaw was on the case, asking Gabbi permission to reprint her essay as the first piece in Youth Voice. Rick remembered that, and he greeted Gabbi when she came to the conference. TLIC reported Lena Pennino who reported on Gabbi's winning the Respect Life over five years ago, asked Gabbi if she remembered her. An impact far beyond her years, I am so proud of my celebrated young writer.

New England Catholic Homeschool Conference

Kristin Bothur my author friend over at 11 on my own has a post on our wonderful day at the conference meeting our favorite authors, Danielle Bean and Susie Lloyd. 
What Kristin is too modest to mention is that great numbers of conference partipants recognized her from her blog and she sold a lot of books.
I was certainly in good company, between great Catholic authors Danielle Bean, Susie Lloyd and Kristin Bothur. I hope to joing their ranks shortly when "A Special Mother is Born" is published this fall.
We were flanked by our dear friends the Friars of the Immaculate from Griswold, CT, and the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary from Still River, MA. We enjoyed many edifying conversations on the faith and Catholic education, not to mention a delicious Polish lunch.
I was able to visit with my friend Patrice Fagnant McArthur of Spiritual Woman, and meet Margot Davidson of Hillside Publishing, which publishes Mater et Magister magazine. I love her book Lingua Mater, the seventh grade Literarture based writing curriculum. With this book I taught a class of homeschooling girls how to hone their writing skills, and four of them entered and won essay and poetry prizes in the Diocesan Respect Life Essay contest. The next year, the Diocese of Rockville Centre added the category "Homeschooled" to the list of participants. Thank you Hillside Education!
I enjoyed Susie Lloyd's talk on St Francis de Sales, one of my favorite spiritual writers, and Allison Gingras' on home educating children with special needs.
It was a  blessed day of sharing what we love about passing on our faith to our children.

With the internet, you never know where you will end up

I have a self indulgent habit; from time to time I Google myself. I want to know where what I write online is going Here are some recent surprises.
My review of "The Kite Runner" was used in The Manila Bulletin as the basis for a discussion on the Sacreament of Confession, according to St Jose Maria Escriva. Awesome.

KIDS was featured in this wonderful article about the 90% abortion rate of babies with Down syndrome.
Again, a pleasant surprise.

My article in the National Catholic Register on the Legacy of Dr Jerome Lejeune was quoted by Michelle in her excellent and holy Unborn Word of the Day. I left a comment at the time, but I had forgotten about it, and to see it there was a renewed thrill.

And.. . saving the best for last; my review of "Mother Teresa's Secret Fire" by Fr Joseph Langford, MC is on the website of the Missionaries of Charity.

When I get discouraged about how little money freelance writing has brought me, I look at the ways my writing has been used, and remember that using my gifts for God's glory is a higher purpose.

My reviews of The 13th Day quoted in Ignatius Press catalogue

I was excited to see the enticing array of films in the new Ignatius Press catalogue, but I was more thrilled to see my review of "The 13th Day" quoted with that of Steve Greydanus and Daria Stockey. "Catholics need a wake-up call on what it means to be the Church Militant. In the face of a darkening world landscape, "The 13th Day" is just that" says the quote on page10.
I was even more amazed when I read the other quote from my review on the Ignatius Press website page for "The 13th Day". My heart beat faster when I saw those whose quotes were chosen.
I was quoted with Fr Andrew Apostoli, CFR, the Official Fatima Shrine and Most Rev Vincent Nichols the Archbishop of Westminster, UK. Such august company!
"Directors Ian and Dominic Higgins, accomplished more than a pious revival of a fond moment in Catholic history, they re-cast familiar images of a story whose relevance has grown with time."
– Leticia Velasquez, Hartford Catholic Examiner
(read full review - also on Catholic Media Review)
This is a great honor for me as a writer to have my work quoted by such a fine publisher and in such respected company. I consider it part of my calling as a writer to help interpret books and film for busy Catholics who are wading their way through the filth of the culture of death. I will be interviewing a cast member of "The Blind Side" next week,  and publishing my review in "US Catholic".
This publicity has inspired me to catch up on the dozen or so book reviews I have to write, so please understand if this blog quiets down. ..

I am a Columnist at Amazing Columnists

My first bilingual column is up "The Midnight Arrival of Our Lady of Guadalupe".

Who is Pro-Choice? HuffPo Censors Pro-Lifers

Who is Pro-Choice? HuffPo Censors Pro-Lifers
This is my first post on David Horowitz's Newsreal Blog.
I discuss how the left is going ballistic about the Tim Tebow Superbowl Ad.

My article on Our Lady of Guadalupe is in the Four County Catholic

You can read it here.

Beautiful article by my friend Kathy Carlman

I am always humbled in the presence of real talent. I who write incessantly, and can be careless with grammar and punctuation, know talent when I see it. Each Sunday evening, while our girls play volleyball, I share the bleachers with a talented writer and college composition professor, Kathy Carlman. She hasn't been writing as much as I have, and I told her that she had to share her God-given talent. She has, and you can see why I urged her to write when you read her moving piece today on Catholic Exchange.

A letter from God to a mother of a special needs child

This letter comes from my heart after nearly eight years of being Christina's mom.
God told me she was a gift from His hand and I am just now beginnig to realize how great a gift she is to me and my whole family.
Read it on Catholic Mom.com.

Catholic evangelist Immaculee Iligagiza starts a blog

One of my favorite Catholic writers Immaculee Ilibagiza has just started a blog, called Immaculee. She invites us to join her in celebration of the feast day of Our Lady of Kiebeho, November 28.
In the months she was dying from cancer, my mother found great comfort in Immaculee's testimony, and sent for the rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady.
My review of her latest book, Our Lady of Kiebeho is at Catholic Media Review.

November is the month of the Holy Souls

My column this month at Catholic Mom is about the happy death of my mother, Eleanor and the blessing she was to her family in her final days.

Please remember to pray for her and she will pray for you.

It's called Into the Mercy.

National Right to Life Pro-life Essay Contest

Information can be found here.
Winners will be announced at the podium of the March for Life next January 22, 2009.

Hartford Catholic Examiner

I am now live as the Hartford Catholic Examiner. Read my posts about the Guadalupe Celebration which launched Carl Andersen's new book "Our Lady of Guadalupe; Mother of a Civilization of Love" by clicking here.

The Celebration featured a Marian Procession through the campus of Yale University only three days before the tragic murder of Annie Le. Our Lady must have known that Yale needed our prayers.
My slide show of the procession is listed with my posts.

UPDATE:
Thanks to you, I am, in only one day, the most read Examiner in Hartford.

Top Examiners in Hartford

1. Hartford Catholic Examiner
2. New Haven Movie Examiner
3. Hartford Women's Style Examiner
4. Hartford Books Examiner
5. Boston Celtics Examiner

I'm a columnist at Catholic Mom

My first column is up at Catholic Mom. com. It's on my little saint, Christina and how she prayed to Our Lady for my mother's recovery from cancer. I knew it was up when I got the loveliest email from Mary Catherine Williams, saying,
"Your story which appeared in CatholicMom.com brought tears to my eyes. I know in my heart Christine was talking to Our Blessed Mother asking to intercede on your mother's behalf. I am a healthcare worker and know cancer rears its ugly head too often. I will remember your mother in my prayers.
You are blessed to have Christine. Somehow I think you already know that."
Thank you Mary Catherine and all of you who made such supportive comments with promises to pray for Mom. She is very gratefull; she says our prayers are sustaining her.

My friend is the Motherhood Examiner for Long Island

You will find Elizabeth's column up here.
Go and see what this prominent Catholic Long Island mother has to say.

My first day as a freelance writer. . .

Was a challenge. What else did I expect when writing assignments and household chores, and promises to get in shape all come crashing down on the head of a mom who finally has her youngest child safely in a school she likes, a lovely home in the country where it's quiet enough to write?
Pressure!
Oh, and did I mention the internet was on the fritz?!
Did I crumple into a pile of tears?
Reach for chocolate when I gave it up for Lent?
Yell and throw things at innocent dogs?
NO!!
I called my husband and yelled at him. . .
" help me fix the @#$% internet!"
Somebody musta been praying hard out there, he was able to help me reconnect it over the phone!! Hurray!!
Me, fixing a modem and a router when I first had to figure out which was which! Me, whom the tecchies on the helpline hung up on twice as impossible!
This is where I do the victory dance which embarrasses Isabella.

Thank you, Lord! I chalk it all up to making time for daily Mass this morning. See, it saves you time, because it keeps you from losing it, and being childish. At least in the morning.

Sadly, the rest of the day wasn't so smooth. I still have problems managing my time, with no living breathing boss over me. Maybe I shoulda gone to evening Mass too.
Read about it at the Mom Writer's Blog. The World's Worst Boss.