More Articles, and Novels, and Writing! Oh My!

This will be quick, I promise.

Well, I was waiting to announce this but I can't hold it off anymore... A lot of people have been asking me where they can get their copy of the latest Envoy Magazine issue so they can read my article. Well, if you've asked me that I will say that maybe you should get the actual subscription (either digital or paper edition) because I will have more articles coming out in the publication. That's right, I am getting my own column. :D I've known about this since late January but I didn't want to say anything until I was getting ready to write the second article. :) I feel truly blessed to be writing for them regularly. I won't write things I will mention in the blog so y'all get new things to read. Can't say what I'm thinking about for the next one but I'm already excited. :D That's one piece of news that I'm terribly excited for.

Update on the novel: if feels like I've been writing the novel for years now, doesn't it? It's not the case. The novel I originally started writing in 2007-2008 is not the same one I'm working on right now. I ended up scrapping that one and I started all over. The current one, which is almost done, was started last year. I'm editing at the moment and it's getting to the point where I'm a little sad that I'm almost done. This novel has been my baby for so long. The good thing is that I am ready to start the second novel (in a planned trilogy) and already have part of it written. I don't know when it will be published or who will end up publishing it... if I don't just do it myself. I think I may, in the near future -- like possibly September, ask for a beta reader or two so if anyone is interested please let me know. I would ask my friends but everyone's busy with school and/or work so I need to ask you lovely blog readers. :)

I have been trying to update the blog more but I'm either wrapped up in my novel (I have been known to spend an entire day just writing) or doing something else if I have writer's block. It is my last three weeks before I start the new semester at my new college. I will try to post at least three times a week until then because I don't know how infrequent my blogging will be after August 23rd. I may just give up Twitter and just blog and keep my Facebook account because I always end up tweeting a lot on twitter and neglecting this blog in the process. I have a lot to write but not enough hours in the day to write everything I want. I am also considering writing blogs in advance and scheduling them to get published on different days. We'll see how it goes with my 5 courses (possibly 6) this semester and the blogging. :)

Okay, I just got rid of my writer's block (thank to my friend, Dave, who was kind enough to read the part I was stuck on) so I am going to spend the rest of my day re-writing one of the last chapters in the novel. :)

I hope everyone is doing well and is having a good start of week. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless. :D

And, So, a Year Has Passed; Article Feedback

I took this picture from Patrick Madrid's Facebook profile.

It's a little weird, but terribly exciting, to see my name on the cover of a respected publication but there I am... on the bottom of the cover... A Gift From My Father. I wrote that. Mind boggling. :D I only have the pre-publication PDF that Patrick sent me so I haven't seen the final product but I have already gotten feedback. The first email was from someone I don't know who saw my email address in the issue. I was deeply touched by the email and it definitely made the 1st year anniversary of my father's death (which was on Sunday, the 11th) that much easier. More about this in a bit.

If you've noticed, it's taken me about a week or so to write again. I haven't been really active on twitter or Facebook either. I've just been really bummed out. Honestly, I didn't feel like doing anything except sleeping. I didn't really want to go out, at all, and had to force myself to actually leave the house. I didn't do anything except stay home and watch TV or movies to distract myself. It's weird for me to be in this state of mind but it's apparently normal.

On the days leading up to the 1 year anniversary, things were hard. I remembered the last time I had a real conversation with him... the last time I kissed him... the last time I saw him... and the last time he received the Eucharist (only days before his death). Mom and I reminisced about the time we had with him, both good and bad. Mom told me the story of how dad was shocked that I basically shooed them out the door on my first of school. Everyone else cried, I didn't... I had a little twinkle in my eye and I just wanted to learn. Also, I was ready for school at like 5 a.m. and dad would tell me to go back to sleep. Oh yes, the academia bug hit quite early. :D I don't remember any of that but my mom does and so that was a great story for me to hear. It was things like this, hearing stories I don't remember, that helped keep me sane. It was also the feedback I've gotten about my article.

If you haven't already guessed, the article I wrote for Envoy Magazine was about the gift that my father (both my earthly father and my Heavenly Father) gave me. I wrote about things I never wrote or even mentioned before to either friends or anywhere on this blog. So far the feedback has been positive. Everyone apparently has cried while reading it which I hope is in a good way. A good friend of mine, Elizabeth (who was my buddy in Ethics class last year), called me yesterday and told me how proud she was of me and what I'd written. She's a hardcore Catholic (and we were the only "conservatives" in the class so we've stuck together ever since) and she's been amazing support. She said that she remembered when I would skip a lecture because I had to go to the doctor with my father and she took notes for me. It made the article feel personal for her, but others who don't know me at all have also been touched... which has touched me as well. All I've ever wanted was to be there for others in some way; to make them feel like they're not alone in dealing with these kind of issues and I am so thankful to God for allowing me to do so with this article.

Everyone who's emailed me, or called me if you personally know me... thank you. Thank you so much for giving me emotional strength I needed to get through this past week. Thank you so much for your prayers... and those who asked me to pray for you for one reason or another, your petitions will be listed in my prayer book list that I keep. :) And while I'm thanking people, thanks to my friends who have been incredible this past year. My family's not as close as others are (it's just mom, my older brother -- the closest one to my age, and I) so thank you for being my adopted siblings. :)

By the way, to not end this on a completely emotional (sorry, I'm just very much like this) note, I've found the answer to busting the blues: BABIES! We have the cutest little 6 month old neighbor and she's actually helped when I've been just depressed. All I have to do is visit her and see the big dimply smile she greets me with and that just makes me feel so much better. She also likes to laugh and try to chat with me which is adorable. I'm very a baby person so it's something as small as her smile that she busts the blues. :) I'm telling you... it works. :D

Alright I have about two back posts that I haven't published so I'm going to try to finish them and post them soon. I hope everyone has had a great week thus far and will continue to have a good week. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless. :D

Novena in Honor of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati - Day Three

The Novena to Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati - Day Three:

Jesus says: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Pier Giorgio responds: “With violence you sow hatred, and you harvest its bad fruits. With charity, you sow peace among men – not the peace that the world gives, but the true peace that only faith in Jesus Christ can give us in common brotherhood.”

We pray: Blessed Pier Giorgio, guide me in claiming my rightful inheritance as a child of God and heir of His kingdom. Show me, by your own example, how to be slow to anger, and gentle in my dealings with others. Help me to show forth the peace of Christ by speaking words of peace, and by living a life of peace.

Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for your intercession in obtaining from God, Who is meek and humble of heart, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare. I confidently turn to you for help in my present need: (mention your request.)

Daily Closing Prayers
(for private devotion)

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

God our Father in heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
All the angels and saints, pray for us.

Blessed Pier Giorgio, pray for us. (Repeat after each invocation.)
Loving son and brother,
Support of family life,
Friend of the friendless,
Most Christian of companions,
Leader of youth,
Helper of those in need,
Teacher of charity,
Patron of the poor,
Comfort of the sick,
Athlete for God’s kingdom,
Conqueror of life’s mountains,
Defender of truth and virtue,
Opponent of every injustice,
Patriotic citizen of the nation,
Loyal son of the Church,
Devoted child of the Madonna,
Ardent adorer of the Eucharist,
Fervent student of the Scriptures,
Dedicated follower of St. Dominic,
Apostle of prayer and fasting,
Guide to a deep love for Jesus,
Diligent in work and study,
Joyful in all of life’s circumstances,
Strong in safeguarding chastity,
Silent in pain and suffering,
Faithful to the promises of Baptism,
Model of humility,
Example of detachment,
Mirror of obedience,
Man of the Beatitudes,

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Pray for us, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Father, You gave to the young Pier Giorgio Frassati the joy of meeting Christ and of living his faith in service of the poor and the sick. Through his intercession, may we, too, walk the path of the Beatitudes and follow the example of his generosity, spreading the spirit of the Gospel in society. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

IMPRIMATUR, November 2, 1994:
+Joseph A. Galante, D.D., J.C.D., Bishop of Beaumont, TX

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Btw, just saw on Patrick Madrid's Facebook that the latest issue of Envoy Magazine is now out... which is exciting because it's the issue in which my article, A Gift From My Father, was published in. :D I can't wait until I have the actual, physical copy in my hands. :D

Okay, I am going to go work on my novel some more since I know I will be stuck in bed for at least another couple of hours. (The anxiety is getting ridiculous.)

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless. :D

It's Official: I'm Getting Published

Now, before everyone gets too excited, I must remind y'all that I'm still under the May 28th deadline to finish my novel -- which is actually on the brink of finally being completed. :D Having said that, y'all know I am not talking about my novel. Do you guys and gals remember me alluding to some big news that I wanted to share but couldn't until I got the official word? Well, today I got the message from Patrick Madrid that an article I'd written for Envoy Magazine will be indeed be published in the next issue. :D I wrote this article back in late January-early February and I don't know how I managed to contain my excitement all these months. I know my own posse (haha!) is surprised by the news because, really, only two people (one of them being my good friend Kathryn) outside my immediate family knew I'd written this article. lol.

I won't say what I wrote about, you'll have to wait until the issue is published to read it for yourselves. I will say that it was something very personal and near and dear to my heart... and it took me much longer to write than anything else I've written (except for the novel). It's a little nerve wrecking since I haven't had anything really published on this level before. My former college's literary magazine doesn't really count since I mainly helped on the artwork and that book of poems that I wrote (and was technically published) when I was 12 years old was a little thing. This is big for me and I am blessed and honored to have gotten this chance. :D

This is all I can say... for now. This is a huge deal for me because I got to write something that I both loved and for a Catholic publication, which is really what I've wanted to do. Though I just returned to the faith less than 4 years ago, I've been "training" to be a writer since I was a little bambina and being able to combine it with my other passion (my faith) is just amazing. :D

One thing, though, don't expect to see the name Emmy Cecilia on it since I am using my actual name. Emmy is a nickname I was given (and the name a majority of my friends and professors call me) and Cecilia is my confirmation name. I will let you guys what name to look for when the issue comes out (although, if you're on my Facebook list you already know what name to look for.)

Well, it's still early and I have many errands to run so I will try to publish the back posts (two Music Mondays, two movie reviews, two book reviews, etc) later on today or early tomorrow morning. :D

I hope you all have a great day and are having a wonderful week thus far. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless. :D