The church captured in the photo used by our publisher to grace the entire cover of our new release was taken circa 1909. It is St. Ambrose Catholic Church, the parish built by the parishioners of Mocassin Branch in Elkton, Florida. Each board in the church was milled on-site, and the trees were provided by the members of the church, each family giving according to the size of their family. (If you buy the print version, you’ll see the entire photo is wrapped around from back to front!)
The parish came into existence in the mid 1800’s and the decendants of those who built this lovely little place for worship, still worship there, today, along. I’m honored to call many of them my friends as we gather during the month to share the joys and sorrows of this life.
D. K. Ludas, Daria to me, has been my friend since I learned what friends are. She’s been my faith partner as well as my mentor, inspiration, and all around bestie. When we lived in Jamesburg, we attended St. James the Less together, we walked in the park every evening that we could, we attended NJ Romance Writers for some years, and then migrated to Sisters in Crime, and Liberty States Fiction Writers, together.
During those walks we often discussed things like forgiveness, broken relationships, mended relationships, sisters (or the lack of them in our case), and how amazing it is how the Lord showers us with His grace and mercy, even when we are broken. Somewhere over the years, the concept of the Amazing Grace series was born; and as two hard-core mystery writers – and Catholic Christians – it of course became not only a strong women’s fiction story about three sisters and their broken relationships, but about their faith in the Lord, the paths taken over the years, and their love for one another, too. And so, book one, MERCIFUL BLESSINGS, was begun. In 2014, it won the Royal Palm Literary Award for the Unpublished Women’s Fiction category.
This is a Christian mystery series with characters who are just like us: flawed, determined, disappointed, broken, healed, and on occassion, just plain out wrong. Daria and I suspect that you’ll enjoy meeting the Blessing sisters: Hope, Faith and Grace. Maybe you’ll see something of your own life in their antics and adventures. And – just like every other N.L. Quatrano or D. K. Ludas story – there’s a smattering of romance in there, too.
The second book, OLD FAITHFUL is in the works right now, a fun adventure due out in early 2019 – unless our publisher Two Stone Lions needs to put it out sooner. Daria is writing that first draft as fast as she can.
SPECIAL TWIST: For you fans of my Point and Shoot mystery series, look for characters from MERCIFUL BLESSINGS in the upcoming PS book 3: GONE IN A FLASH which will be out this coming May.
Daria and I wish you all the mercy and blessings of the Lord for today and every day! And if you are going to be around NJ on Mar 24-25, we’ll be at the Liberty States Fiction Writer’s big book signing which is open to the public for free, on Mar 24 at the Woodbridge Renaissance Hotel from 430-630 PM. Come and see us there and meet 50 of our author friends, too!
Keep reading – and writing!
Nancy Q.
Words Count: Speaking faith, hope, and grace 