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Tony is the author of six novels for teens, including his latest release, Penny and the Stolen Chalice, for middle-grade readers. His teen historical fiction series, The Harwood Mysteries, has won over a dozen book awards. Tony hosts The Shepherd's Pie radio show and podcast. Join us as we discuss Tony's inspirational medieval fiction series, the ways he introduces youth to core Christian values through his stories, and the themes expressed in his work.
FEATURED BOOK: Luck of the Irish
AUTHOR: lead author Kate Darroch plus 9 Cozy authors
PUBLISHER: Ad Astra Press Inc
GENRE: Cozy Mystery anthology
SERIES OR STAND ALONE: stand alone (intended to repeat annually)
TARGET AGE: 16 to 90+
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME AUTHOR KATE DARROCH TO THE OVER 50 WRITER. KATE SHARES HOW SHE HAS LEARNED TO BE THE HANDS AND FEET OF JESUS THROUGH HER WRITING.
WE ARE HIS HANDS AND FEET
by
Kate Darroch
In the words of Saint Teresa of Ávila:
"Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion. Yours are the feet upon which He walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are His body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours."
Our Lord Jesus Christ, when He walked the earth in His own body, didn’t go around condemning people. He protected the woman taken in adultery. He forgave the apostle Peter for deserting Him in His hour of greatest need. He didn’t chastise Thomas for refusing to believe in His resurrection.
But Jesus did whip the money-changers out of the temple. And St Paul warns us that the inordinate love of money is the root of all evil.
Money itself is neither good nor bad; it’s just a tool. What am I willing to do to get money? That’s the crucial question. And it’s a question that we cannot ask ourselves too often, because the golden calf is always just around the corner, and we don’t necessarily recognise it when we are in danger of being eaten alive by greed or envy. We need to know where we stand before the danger arises.
So what does it mean, to be Our Saviour’s hands and feet on earth?
For me, it means the same thing as the original communist manifesto: To each, according to his need. From each, according to his ability.
But we all know how horrifically that pure communist creed was manifested. Showing, I believe, that good intentions avail us nothing without grace.
Grace comes to us as a pure gift, a token of Our Saviour’s love for us. “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16 KJV)
However, we have been told, in the clearest terms "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”. (Matthew 7:7-8 KJV) Grace is a gift that we can be confident of receiving if we truly want it. And keep seeking it.
If I truly want to accept the potential that we all have, to be Our Saviour’s hands and feet on earth, opportunities will come fast.
Many years ago, I was having an incredibly bad day, and as a result I wound up in a part of town I don’t usually go. And there I bumped into someone I barely knew, a recovering alcoholic, and without knowing at the time that I was doing it, just by being in the right place at the right time I helped him not to take a drink.
How did that happen? A power greater than himself was watching over him, and I was ready to give my feet to be Christ’s feet, and so that day Christ chose me as one of His millions of instruments and brought me to where He needed that instrument to be positioned. My bad day was just incidental. Static.
We never know when our God will take the gift of ourselves that we offer, and we very rarely even know when it’s happened. But we always know that people out there need our help, and that in helping them we are doing God’s will.
As I see it, it’s my Christian duty, it’s every Christian’s duty, to help when I can, but not usually to the detriment of my own or my family’s needs. When God does want me to put someone else’s welfare ahead of mine and my family’s, He’ll let me know.
I am lucky enough to have a pension which is small but sufficient to my needs. I can use my time as I please. So I write stories. And during the two years that I have been writing stories, I’ve met other writers online.
When I learned about the camps in Texas, it was because I was networking and another writer told me they existed. I had no idea how bad it was. I assumed the detained families were living in sub-optimum housing and needed a few goodies to brighten their day. I thought, I’ll do a little fund-raising by putting out an anthology and we’ll send the kids some stuff.
So then I tried to find someone to tell me what the kids would like and how to send goodies to them. And little by little I learned the horrific truth. There is no way to send them anything; and tiny children are living in the ninth circle of hell.
That changed everything. 100% of the anthology income is going to a legal services firm, RAICES Texas, which fights to get the kids out of the camps, because there’s no way to help them while they are inside. And as soon as this anthology is released I’ll start another. And another. And help in every other way I can.
It’s writers who read this blog. If you want to be part of the effort to help these kids, get in touch. Together, we can make a difference.
Or, if your effort is taken up by other worthy causes and you have no time or treasure to spare, everyone needs a little relaxation. Maybe you’d enjoy chuckling over these Cozies, knowing that by spending a couple of bucks to read The Luck of the Irish you are also doing good in the world, and helping those who cannot help themselves.
Back Cover Blurb for Luck of the Irish
Luck of the Irish: A Cozy Mystery Anthology
10 Tales by Cozy authors
Ten Tantalising Cozy Mysteries to enjoy on Saint Patrick's Day!
Sure to make you chuckle, make you go "aawww", and keep you guessing!
Plus the authors' Favorite Saint Patrick's Day Recipes.
Have fun curling up with these Cozy stories and a delicious drink, knowing that just by enjoying these tales you are doing good in the world too - because 100% of book sales proceeds go to a non-profit helping children living in terrible conditions.
Kate Darroch’s first novel, Death in Paris, was written after she retired, in 2022. It won 15 international book awards. In late 2023 Thanksgiving in Welcombe Bay released and 6 weeks later won a Pencraft award. "What sets Thanksgiving in Welcombe Bay apart is how it seamlessly integrates Christian values into the storyline." Learning of the plight of children in immigration camps, Kate gathered authors into a Cozy anthology, Luck of the Irish, to fund help for them. Kate believes her "twilight years" are best spent doing whatever work our Saviour sends her to do for His little ones.
Connect with Kate:
Website
email
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