truth – Molly McBride and the Purple Habit

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Reframing Heroism: Not What You Might Think

June 2, 2020June 11, 2020 Jeanie Egolf

“Go big or go home” is an attitude a lot of us grew up with. As a cradle Catholic, I’m sure I knew, deep-down, that Jesus’ teachings didn’t exactly support that message. But the glamor of shiny, bullet-deflecting bracelets and invisible jets tended to tweak my childhood interest a tad more than things like washing my friends’ feet or going last. Such is the concrete mind of a young child. (Although, “concrete” becomes a bit blurred when we get into discussions about talking cars and backpacks. But the psychology of child development is beyond the scope of this post.)

As a Catholic mom, how do I instill in my concrete-thinking, talking-backpack-loving children, a love of quiet heroism? Or, to use a term more specific to the vocabulary of our Christian faith, a love of virtue? Is there a book or something?

Actually, there are 35 in the works.

Cathy Gilmore, aka “Mrs. Virtue Lady,” is masterminding a massive project, and I am honored to be a part of her amazing vision. Her forthcoming children’s picture book series Tiny Virtue Heroes™️ gives parents, grandparents, catechists, and teachers of preschool-aged children the perfect tool to begin fostering a love of all things virtuous.

“Mrs. Virtue Lady” Cathy Gilmore is the mastermind behind the Virtue Heroes universe.

Written to reframe our notions of superheroes, each story unfolds through the eyes of a cute, relatable-to-children animal character who happens to witness a major moment in Christian history. My mom mind is shouting, This is brilliant! Kids love animals! Ranging from mice to tilapia, this wild menagerie of critters was created with kids’ glorious imaginations in mind. Each lovable character plays the role of a sidekick to important folks like Mary and Jesus, heroes that we really want to capture our kids’ attentions. Besides assigning each story a little animal hero, each hero is in turn the icon of a specific virtue. That special virtue power is his or her super power.

A Mouse and a Miracle is the first book in Cathy’s Tiny Virtue Heroes™ series.

Book One in Gilmore’s Tiny Virtue Heroes™️ series

Moshe (“Mo-SHAY”) or “Mo” the Mouse is the first tiny virtue hero we meet. He is the narrator of A Mouse and a Miracle. In this virtue story of humility, Mo invites readers to delight in the humble joy of his hero Mary, from his unique perspective witnessing the Annunciation.

“I want kids to feel Mary’s joy, not just learn about it,” says Gilmore, already an award-winning children’s book author and ministry founder of Virtue Works Media. “Mary’s humility, her smallness, is represented by a tiny mouse. I want children to picture Mo and associate his story with the virtue of humility.” Ultimately, children will “collect” and learn about 35 virtues by associating each one of them with its corresponding animal icon and a story about a biblical character or a saint. Besides amassing an impressive library of virtue stories, kids will be able to enjoy the brand’s virtue-building toys, games, and even pillow cases that double as superhero capes to build their own virtue heroes universe. Move over, Marvel!

I am completely enamored with Cathy’s VERY big plans, and I pray the Holy Spirit continues to guide my (digital) pencil as I endeavor to decorate her virtuous text with my humble illustrations. Having experienced the charge to tastefully represent the saints, I was not completely surprised by the God-fear/awe/I’m-not-worthy feeling that froze my fingers upon my first attempt at sketching the mother of God. But creating art is a holy experience for me. I am drawn into a deeper relationship with Mary. Even as I pray my Rosary, I now picture the Annunciation in our virtue heroes palette of colors!

Gilmore’s tagline “Virtue is REAL super power!” is the theme of A Mouse and a Miracle and all the Tiny Virtue Heroes™️ books. “The holiness of heroic virtue now exists in a modern, imaginative context,” says the St. Louis based ministry founder. To learn more about Cathy Gilmore and her Tiny Virtue Heroes™️ check out her IG feed, Twitter, and Facebook.

A Mouse and a Miracle (Perpetual Light Publishing) makes its heroic appearance at bookstores, both virtual and live, in July 2020.

It's sharing time!, Recommended Reads

For Eden’s Sake: Pro-Life Blockbuster Pending

September 28, 2019 Jeanie Egolf

We are so close, friends.

It’s been years since the Pro-Life Movement has made such great strides. Clinics are closing at record rates, and awareness hasn’t been this high since Roe V. Wade.

But we’ve still miles to go. And you all know my thing, of course. Redemption through reading, preach in parables, all that. I’ve found us the perfect book.

For Eden’s Sake by T. M. Gaouette is a pro-life story like I’ve never seen or read before: DAD’s side of the story. By alternating points-of-view between pro-life Isaac and pro-choice Rebecca, Gaouette masterfully gives a voice to the often-ignored victims of abortion, the fathers. Sometimes seemingly ridiculous in his passionate beliefs, co-protagonist Isaac’s behavior, through Rebecca’s eyes, gives us a glimpse into the minds of the pro-choice contingent. True, we pro-lifers must seem similarly ridiculous at times. But as readers come to learn the story of these young adults, as well as Rebecca’s father, her angry roommate Tess, Isaac’s loving parents, and a mysterious stalker, I believe even the hardest of hearts will come to see why such passionate faith in Life is the only truth.

Even though the baby is conceived during a drunken one-night-stand, Issac is deeply regretful of his mistake and tries desperately to right his wrongs. As for Rebecca, there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye. It is rare that a book moves me to tears. This one did it to me. It’s very compelling. The plot is suspenseful from the very beginning, and readers will wonder how God can ever fix the mess these two young adults have made. Gaouette has woven a truly creative and celebratory story. A pro-life blockbuster waiting to happen, For Eden’s Sake is a masterpiece and a must-read for every young adult.

Friends, pray with me that some Hollywood producer or the like will see this review and read this book and help us to reach more people and save more souls by making For Eden’s Sake into the beautiful film it deserves to be.

Coming soon: “An interview with T. M. Gaouette: Inspiration Behind For Eden’s Sake.”

Get yours here on Amazon, or visit the author’s website here.

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As We Forgive Those

March 4, 2018March 10, 2018 Jeanie Egolf

I wonder, how many others might begin reading this book and think it will be another Marian theology study? While Forgiving Mother: A Marian Novena of Healing and Peace is an extremely well-written Marian theological resource, it is much more. Yes, Steinhage-Fenelon explores the role of Mary in our personal lives for the purpose of teaching us about charity and forgiveness. Yes, she offers plenty of solid, supporting content, both biblical and Church doctrinal, to illustrate each of her ideas. Yes, she provides us with a beautiful Marian novena to pray as a part of the enlightenment brought forth by her thesis statement.

What I didn’t realize is that the title is missing an “A.”

This book isn’t about how Mary, Mother of God, is a forgiving mother. This book, while remaining a beautiful treatise on Mary’s forgiving nature, is the tale of how the author came to forgive her mother. It is a sort of self-help book for anyone who has suffered abuse, of any kind, at the hand of someone who was supposed to be a provider of love and instiller of trust. While there is a lot of literature out there about surviving child or partner abuse, I know of no other source as powerful as this one, because Steinhage-Fenelon has meticulously provided very practical, step-by-step advice, along with the logic of Marian theology and the power of prayer, to bring her readers to begin the process of healing. I would venture to say that Forgiving Mother can even serve as a source of healing for the repentant abuser, as well.

Forgiving is hard. Even forgiving little stuff is hard if you don’t know how. We none of us can accrue enough tools to help us get better at forgiveness. I highly recommend Forgiving Mother not only for people who are looking for help working through past trauma, but for EVERYONE, because we can all use some help learning how to truly “forgive those who trespass against us.”

What are you reading? You can share your favorite books by tagging your social media posts with #OpenBook and linking up with us at Carolyn Astfalk’s “My Scribbler’s Heart” blog as well as CatholicMom.

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What Do Kids Give Up For Lent?

March 3, 2018February 12, 2018 Jeanie Egolf

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Molly For President!

February 18, 2018February 6, 2018 Jeanie Egolf

Molly McBride For President! — Sounds good to me!

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Who(m) Do You Love?

February 6, 2018March 10, 2018 Jeanie Egolf

The Cover Image: I think Bear came first. He might be about a year older than Hearts. I think Hearts was a Valentine’s Day gift to our little “Molly” when she was 3. They are well-loved.

The Title: As a homeschooling mom, I’m a little bit ridiculously proud of how I’ve managed to produce two mini grammar police.

But, what’s more important than a misplaced modifier or a surplus of exclamation points? How about a lesson in LOVE?

A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh (who may or may not be the inspiration behind a certain wolfpet-named-Francis) said you don’t have to know how to spell love, you just have to feel it.

The point is, kiddos aren’t just born knowing how to perform acts of charity; they must be taught. Ideally, we are molding them into selfless adults through our own example. But when the day is long and the night is short, we may find that we have neither the energy to shuttle everyone off to help ladle noodles at the soup kitchen, nor the funds to adopt a highway. In these cases, we may have to resort to some direct, didactic teaching, or, even better, read stories!

May I suggest the latest in the Molly McBride series? It’s called Molly McBride and the Party Invitation and it’s available both at Amazon and direct from the publisher at Gracewatch Media.

: A true love story, Molly McBride and friends, with the help of Father Matt, learn the real meaning of charity. The story also subtly examines school bullying through a unique lens: “loving thy enemy” via the Gospel of Matthew.

Party Invitation is a tale of true love, charity. I’m talking about “love” as in the word Paul used in writing to the Corinthians, using the Greek work agape, (also used by John to equal “God,”) that was later translated into the Latin caritas, the root of the English word “charity.”

And in this love story, Molly McBride and friends, with the help of Father Matt, learn the real meaning of charity in a surprising way: the story examines school bullying through a unique lens: “loving thy enemy” via the Gospel of Matthew.

Illustration of the pharisees, from Molly McBride and the Party Invitation — “Ever wonder why it is so much easier to love our friends than our enemies?” asks Father Matt of Molly and Dominic.

As in the first 2 Molly McBride books, lessons abound whenever the fiery-haired 5-year-old encounters her faithful friends, the Children of Mary sisters and, in Book 2, Father Matt. It is my dream that every child will learn a little something, in a fun and entertaining way, from the relatable characters in these books. And, hopefully, the books will fulfill the daily goal of every teacher and homeschooling parent, that is, to help children learn to enjoy reading and to continue to grow in their faith.

Blessings!

Jeanie

"Party Invitation" is a tale of true love, charity.

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I Promised You a Party

February 3, 2018 Jeanie Egolf

As well as a Trifecta in February as we unveil the long-awaited sequel to Molly McBride and the Plaid Jumper, and so, at last! here it is:

From the back cover:

Molly McBride is turning 6, and her Momma is planning a BIG party. Everyone in Molly’s class is supposed to get an invitation. But should a certain class bully be invited, too? Or would it be better if his were “lost”?

Join Molly and friends as they learn that doing actor of charity, while always a good thing, isn’t always a party.

A true love story, Molly McBride and friends, with the help of Father Matt, learn the real meaning of charity. The story also subtly examines school bullying through a unique lens: “loving thy enemy” via the Gospel of Matthew.

Molly McBride and the Party Invitation: Bullies need love, too! — A true love story, Molly McBride and friends, with the help of Father Matt, learn the real meaning of charity. The story also subtly examines school bullying through a unique lens: “loving thy enemy” via the Gospel of Matthew.

As always, in my effort to expose Catholic kids to the religious life, there are special guests in this book: along with Father Matt, the Children of Mary sisters play a big part in Party Invitation.

Friends, it’s ready to order NOW via Amazon here: Party Invitation! It’s the perfect Valentine’s Day, Easter, birthday, or First Communion gift for the Catholic kids in your life. Miss Molly is turning 6 in this story, but the Molly books are enjoyed by kids of all ages, especially the 3-9 year-old crowd.

Momma here wishes to thank all Molly’s faithful fans, especially my family: may charity and love prevail.

Blessings,

Jeanie

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Time For Bed

November 26, 2017November 19, 2017 Jeanie Egolf

Yep. That’s about right.

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Librarians, Teachers, Parents Take Note

August 10, 2017August 10, 2017 Jeanie Egolf

Quite often my inbox hosts a message from a Catholic mama that goes something like this:

On Aug 10, 2017, at 8:42 AM, mfree@email.com wrote:

Hello Jean,

Would you please forward to me a list of your recommended books by Catholic authors? I would like it for my own reference, as well as to offer it to the librarian at St. (pick one!) School. Also, do you have a resource (list, website, etc.) for comparisons, like instead of reading that, read this book. I would love to encourage my Catholic school librarian to promote worthwhile books to the students (not that Dork Diaries and the like are not worthwhile. HaHa!).

HA!!!!!

Well, my friends, there is not one place (yet) that can list all of the amazing page-turners out there written by faithful Catholics. But I have the following really useful list to get you started.

First off, as far as an “instead of this read that” kind of thing, keep your eyes on Cathy Gilmore’s Virtue Works Media, because Cathy’s big dream is to provide exactly that type of service. For example, instead of The Hunger Games, check out Corinna Turner’s I Am Margaret from Chesterton Press, or instead of the Twilight books, look into Jennifer the Damned by Karen Ullo (Wiseblood Books.)

Now, an absolute MUST-TELL-MY-SCHOOL-LIBRARIAN! is what’s going on down in Florida with Lizette Lantigua’s Good News Book Fair, a new and rapidly-growing traveling book fair for schools and parishes. Take a look at some of the photographs on her site, because Liz’s displays of books, posters, toys, etc. are beautiful and can even be customized for your organization. (IMHO, Good News Book Fairs should completely replace Scholastic in our Catholic schools.*)

And not to be outdone by Florida, five Texans have come up with Catholic Reads, an online service that offers a free subscription to newsletters with book reviews and hefty discounts on the reviewed titles. Similarly, author-run Catholic Teen Books offers reviews, teaching tools, author info, links, and more if you’re in the market for YA books.

Worldwide, one of the things we are doing in the Catholic Writers’ Guild is revamping our website to make it easier for readers to evaluate our titles and authors by age group and genre. Fresh from the CWG’s blog is this very helpful article which highlights some of my family’s favorite books: this article that would be VERY helpful to pass on to librarians and teachers: CWG Blog Post: List of books .

Whew! I’m glad I finally stole a few minutes to put all this in one place. And, friends, I really appreciate your sharing this post. So, so many people will benefit from the information I’ve listed here.

Blessings!

Jeanie

*For more on that *cough* humble opinion, I have an article pending publication.

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Moms-Of-Mollies: Mind-Blowing Books For Us, Girlfriend!

June 29, 2017June 30, 2017 Jeanie Egolf

Sure, Molly McBride is a children’s book character and this blog mostly addresses stuff about kids and parenting and why we no longer go to the Columbus Museum of ~~crap~~ I mean ART, and great children’s fiction books, etc. But sometimes I want to throw in some stuff for my GFs (and dad’s, too, of course!) Today I’ve got not 1, not 2, but THREE inspiring books just for us for grown-ups.

Once-I-Was-Blind-Cover — https://thelionofdesign.com/product/once-i-was-blind-softback-book/

First up is I Once Was Blind, But Now I See with Kimberly Cook. Kimberly refers to the subject of this autobiography she co-wrote with Charles Picirilli as her “own personal Padre Pio” and, I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but, yeah. You’ll see why after reading it! I Once Was Blind is the faith journey of a man who falls in and out of faith many times, but each time he comes back to the Church, he comes back even stronger. This man’s temptations and struggles have ranged from as mundane as cigarettes to as shocking as the occult. But the clear, humble descriptions of Charles’ personal battle with each of the hurdles he experiences is truly inspiring. Be prepared for miracles!

Next I’d like to tell you about Broken Brain, Fortified Faith by Virginia Pillars. This award-winning account of a mother’s “lessons of hope through a child’s mental illness” was difficult for me to put down, but my family started getting REALLY LOUD about dinner. (The burned pork chops were totally worth it.) This is one of those stories that won’t let you go. It takes you into some pretty dark places but blessedly shows you the light that is our God. Pillars’ writing is straight-forward, and the book moves at a good pace. Mental illness is hard to talk about, and that leaves many people feeling alone in their silence. Broken Brain, Fortified Faith is like a comforting friend who understands and shares that pain.

I’m gonna plug my brother’s book for my third recommendation because it totally fits in with these inspiring, faith-strengthening grown-up reads. Dreams Of My Eagle has knocked the socks off both me and *cough* the Holy Father! (Nope, I am not EVEN name dropping.)

William David Schoonover (my big brother Bill) went through hell and back. Twice. The first time he was alive. Donna, his wife of 34 years, died an agonizing death of metastatic colon cancer. She was only 57, a full-blooded Cherokee Native American “non-religious” Hospice nurse, but she had a deathbed conversion while holding a rosary. A ton of mystical stuff happened surrounding her death, stuff I totally witnessed, Friends. Also, Bill discovered some manuscripts. Donna had been secretly documenting her dying patients’ near-death experiences for much of her career. This hair-raising, goose-bump inducing tale of golden eagles that appear, pure elemental gold dust that appears and disappears, and Donna’s personal words made its way to Rome. And back. And Pope Francis’s own personal notes are scrawled in one precious copy of Dreams Of My Eagle that is now locked up for safe keeping somewhere in Southern Ohio.

Author William D. Schoonover minutes before he coded.

Author William D. Schoonover is “Molly’s” uncle!

Twice, you ask? Oh, that. Shortly after Dreams Of My Eagle got published and Bill was doing the book tour thing, he dropped dead. He was coded on the street for 20 minutes before paramedics arrived and transported him to Kings Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, KY . There he went from blue-black dead to the induced hypothermia protocol to funeral plans in the making, to . . . now working on his second book. Rumor has it, the first line of this new book might read something like, “They froze me for 3 days, but it was warm in Heaven.”

Coincidence? Power of suggestion? You decide.

Want to share with us some more inspiring reads that’ll renew our faith? Please comment below!

Blessings!

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