So excited to announce my upcoming memoir: The Kiss of Jesus

This is the very first time that I am unveiling the book cover of my memoir, The Kiss of Jesus: How Mother Teresa and the Saints Helped Me to Discover the Beauty of the Cross.

The publisher, Ignatius Press has just announced it on their website. You can sign up there to learn more about the book.

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The time is getting closer. My memoir, The Kiss of Jesus: How Mother Teresa and the Saints Helped Me to Discover the Beauty of the Cross will be released in August.

Here is the very first sneak peek at the dust jacket description:

When Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle was growing up, she had no thought of one day becoming a popular author and television host. She was immersed in her life as the seventh of eight children in a Catholic family. Sometimes that life was carefree and fun, spending time with relatives dancing the festive Polkas at family weddings, and enjoying picnics in her back yard dappled with fruit trees and flower gardens. Other times, life for her was very dark and tarnished with struggles and pain. Struggles that she felt were perhaps best left a secret.

Donna-Marie retreated to the beauty of nature, thanking God for its splendors, pondering and meditating. She plunged her heart and soul into a deeper meaning of life as she tried to navigate the ups and downs in a large struggling family. She turned to God for help especially as she became increasingly misunderstood by her family and her peers.

Life took some bizarre turns, and Donna-Marie was forced to deal with a crazed man who took away her freedom and held her hostage. Eventually escaping the nightmare of her prison, she married and began raising her family, believing she had finally found her true vocation. But she couldn’t seem to get out from under the shadow of the Cross. She lost three babies to miscarriage, struggled with her husband’s serious drinking problem and was later abandoned by him just before she gave birth to her third living child.

Raising her family alone, she was subjected to abusive neighbors and appalling living conditions, struggling to overcome these challenges as she held onto hope for better days.

Her knight in shining armor finally came on the scene. Or so she thought. Another unexpected adventure ensued, thrusting Donna-Marie into a more affluent yet controlled life. “Prince Charming” had charmed his way into her life, but under the veneer of his charm was a dark side.

Survival mode took over as Donna-Marie had to fight for her life and for her children’s safety. Providentially, a saint or two crossed paths with Donna-Marie and impacted her life greatly. One was Blessed Mother Teresa who would become her close friend and spiritual mother.

The Kiss of Jesus is a powerful, moving true story of a well-known Catholic author who faced great suffering, abuse and rejection, but through faith, hope and love she found redemption and the beauty of the Cross.

 

Please take a quick moment to subscribe at this simple form to be among the first to learn more about this book AND to receive a discount! I will be in touch to let you know when you can pre-order The Kiss of Jesus. All sign ups are entitled to a sale price (to be announced)!

[Have no fear! I promise that your email address will never be shared.]

The Kiss of Jesus Email List

Information about The Kiss of Jesus book

5 Things That Caught My Eye…

1) When traveling out-of-state to do some speaking and book signing, I happened to be behind this gentleman at the airport. His shirt caught my eye. It was such a nice sight!

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2) When it comes to clean laundry, did you know that white distilled vinegar is supposedly as good or better than bleach?

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 (My daughter, Chaldea’s artwork above which she sells at her Etsy site.She has illustrated several of my books.)

According to a recent article, “The acetic acid in white distilled vinegar is so mild that it will not harm washable fabrics; yet is strong enough to dissolve residues (alkalies) left by soaps and detergents. Adding just 1/2 cup vinegar to the final rinse will result in brighter, clearer colors.”

I think I will do a load of white laundry later today and try out the vinegar! Check out the article about 10 uses for the white vinegar here.

 

3) A recent sentiment from Pope Francis caught my eye. “It gave us consolation and hope to see so many large families that welcome children as a true gift of God.” (Pope Francis, Wednesday’s General Audience, Vatican City,    (Zenit.org)

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4) I just happened to catch an excellent and powerful episode of EWTN’s “The Journey Home” about Steven W. Mosher, President of the Population Research Institute and former Secular Humanist.

It was great show. Steven Mosher is the author of several books including: A Mother’s Ordeal: One Woman’s Fight Against China’s One-Child Policy. Mosher says he had a confrontation with evil in China as he watched late term abortions being performed due to China’s one-child policy. He was an atheist at the time. He soon became an agnostic and later on…well, you will see in this program. He does amazing work. Here is the show right here and his website here.

 

5) And, finally, just for fun, this short Huff Post news video about longevity caught my eye. A 109 year old woman shares her big secret to her longevity. You might laugh when you learn what she says you should avoid if you’d like to live a long life! Here’s the video.

 

Sharing a blogger’s reflection on “Angels for Kids”

A blogger homeschooling Mama of five shares about my Angels for Kids book:

We started our next book, “Angels for Kids” by Donna Marie Cooper O’Boyle. Let me tell you, I have only read ahead a few chapters (because I am a busy mama and I just don’t have the time or energy to read all the way ahead! I am a self-professed ‘non-reader’ anyway–I prefer to do all kinds of other things before I choose to sit down and read a book. Reading is great, I admit, but I still prefer lots of other things to reading), but I am really impressed with this book.

First of all, Donna Marie Cooper O’Boyle addresses the book to her young audience. She speaks to them in her introduction, and continues with a friendly and easy-to-understand tone throughout the chapters.

Second, it is full of beautiful Scripture references and stories of the Angels. Each chapter is full of verses, leaving no doubts that not only should we believe in the Angels, but God has given us His own words about them so that we might believe. I also like that each chapter begins with a short verse. I am using some of them as copywork for my children, and hope to also use them in prayer to help memorize verses.

Third, Donna Marie Cooper O’Boyle also references teachings of the saints and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Our history is rich in belief about the angels! She helps that young readers understand and appreciate the rich traditions we have, and by the end of the book, have a new appreciation and (hopefully) a deepening respect for (and even relationship with!) the angels.

To date, we have finished the first two chapters. (Chapter Three, “What Angels Look Like”, is on the agenda later today) Chapter One, “A Multitude of Angels”, tells us all about who the angels are and are not, (they are not fairies!), and what they do. In short, the angels are in God’s service, to aid us in attaining salvation. How fabulous is that? To finish up chapter one, I created copywork sheets for my girls with Hebrews 1:14, “Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” I made another for my 5yr old, with his name, “angel”, and “St. Michael the Archangel”.

Chapter Two, “Angels in the Bible”, might be the longest chapter in the book. From creation in Genesis to Revelation, stories with angels are re-told. Even though this was a long chapter to read aloud, and I wondered at times if my kids were beginning to day dream, I loved this chapter. I know the angels are in the Bible; I have heard the stories all my life. Probably everyone can at least name the Angel Gabriel, who announces the birth of Jesus. And yet, I was delighted to be reminded of not only Gabriel, but all the other angels who play a role in the lives of so many. I had many “oh yeah!” moments while reading this chapter. To finish up chapter two, my 5 yr old retold a favorite story and illustrated it, and the girls illustrated their favorite angel story.

I am keeping it simple as we read and “study” these books this year. Not only to do not have abundant time for coming up with elaborate crafts and activities, but I want our mini family “book club” to be relaxed, casual, and enjoyable. Here and there I’ll come up with a craft or recipe, I’m sure (‘cuz that’s how I roll), but at the same time, it is nice to have a family read that isn’t part of our syllabus and isn’t crying out to be enhanced with Pinterest-worth crafts. It’s the reading together that counts!

Well, that is wonderful, Gina! Thank you for sharing my book on your blog. I pray that your family is thoroughly blessed!

The TV series and contests continue…

Hello!

Lots of buzz lately. Have you seen yesterday’s first show of my brand new Catholic Mom’s Cafe series? It’s about kids, modesty, and fashion. When EWTN re-airs the show I’ll be sure to let you know. Take a look at this blog post about tonight’s new show which is about kids and the culture (airing at 6:30 PM ET) and the cool contests you can enter to win just by watching the show.

Kids and the Culture

Kids and the Culture

Take a moment and subscribe to my newsletters (right column of this website) to be kept abreast of my news, contests, new books, inspiration, and more.

Take good care!

God bless!
Donna-Marie

My new television mini-series launching next week!

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The month of October has been very busy. I have been conducting lots of contests to celebrate Moms and GrandMoms since my new television series designed for Catholic Moms and GrandMoms will be launching next week on EWTN. You can still enter to win books and fun things. Here’s a link to enter the latest. In addition, I’ll be conducting fun contests to win great gift cards and books next week during the launch. Stay tuned for more information on that.
I hope you can tune in next week to Catholic Mom’s Cafe. It’s set in the heart of a Catholic home. “Catholic Mom’s Café” dishes up bighearted helpings of inspiration, encouragement, and Church teaching as it delves into the challenges and joys amid the miraculous yet crazy vocation of motherhood.
Here’s the schedule:

On the set of Catholic Mom's Cafe.

On the set of Catholic Mom’s Cafe.

Mon 11/03/2014 03:00 AM: The Skinny on Catholic Fashion
Mon 11/03/2014 06:30 PM: The Skinny on Catholic Fashion
Tue 11/04/2014 03:00 AM: Kids and the Culture
Tue 11/04/2014 06:30 PM: Kids and the Culture
Wed 11/05/2014 03:00 AM: Going it Alone (single motherhood and moms who “feel” single)
Wed 11/05/2014 06:30 PM: Going it Alone (single motherhood and moms who “feel” single)
Thu 11/06/2014 03:00 AM: Upholding Dignity through Contradictions
Thu 11/06/2014 06:30 PM: Upholding Dignity through Contradictions
Fri 11/07/2014 03:00 AM: Dealing with Loss through Miscarriage
Fri 11/07/2014 06:30 PM: Dealing with Loss through Miscarriage

I hope you enjoy the series!