Hello and welcome to the Work of Thy Hands podcast, where we talk about all things writing, editing, and self-publishing for the Catholic author.

I’m your host, Allison Ramirez, founder of Trinity Tree Publishing, a small business dedicated to helping Christian authors bring more true, good, and beautiful books with clarity, confidence, and grace. You can find me and my work at trinitytreepublishing.com.

If any of that sounds like you or someone you know, please subscribe to or share this podcast. I’m so glad you’re here!

Today, I’m sharing some reflections on my journey this past year with the lay Carmelites, and how the contemplative life has led me to working on a NEW fiction book!

Sign up for notifications on the launch of Deus X Maria ~⁠Deus X Maria — Pray in Your Language⁠ , the prayer app I’ve been writing for. :)

Listen to The Work of Thy Hands Podcast

Allison from Trinity Tree Books here.

I pray you have been enjoying a wonderful summer so far, now that we are over 3/4 of the way through the month of July. Time flies!

NOTE: I have decided to combine my other newsletter (Trinity Tree Authors) with this newsletter (Trinity Tree Books). It was a bit too much coming up with content for two separate newsletters, so now you can enjoy content for writers and readers in one place. :)

The Precious Blood of Jesus

The month of July is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, a devotion that focuses on the lifegiving sacrifice of Christ in offering His blood for us on the Cross. This month, we are encouraged to offer little sacrifices to God, remembering His perfect and ultimate sacrifice. In a special way, priests offer their whole lives as a sacrifice to God in service of His people. I found these lovely weekly prayers to the Precious Blood for Priests if you’d like to say some intentional prayers for your parish priest(s) this week.

Pray Here

Here is a sacred art image known as The Mond Crucifixion, a Renaissance altarpiece painted by Raphael in the 1500s, showing angels catching the blood of Christ from His wounds on the Cross.

For the Writers

A contest!

I entered my fiction book last year and had an awesome experience! Let me know if you end up entering.

Enter the Contest Here!

NEW YouTube video!

Below is my next content creation video, this one for the month of July! The video offers recommendations and tips for creating Christian content that aligns with and supports the liturgical calendar.

watch here

What’s new at Trinity Tree Publishing?

In writing:

I’m thrilled to share that Deus X Maria, the prayer app for which I have been writing devotional meditations this past month, has a landing page that is now live! Feel free to sign up for notifications for when the app is officially released.

Sign up for the launch!

In book editing:

I am taking clients for the months of July and August, so please feel free to reach out if you are in need of an editor. You can learn more about my services below.

Editing with Trinity Tree Publishing

A special shoutout to one of my editing clients, Dennis Brucks, on the recent publication of his new book, The EternoSword Saga (Book 1).

Read Here

For the Readers

What I’ve been reading:

When visiting the National Shrine of St. Therese in Juneau, Alaska, back in May, I purchased a gorgeous deluxe edition copy of The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of Saint Therese of Lisieux. I have been bringing the book with me and reading short snippets during Adoration. The gold foiling, red ribbon, and hardback binding make this a lovely keepsake.

Read Here

Thank you!

From the bottom of my heart, I couldn’t pursue this dream of mine to write books and help others do the same if it weren’t for your faithful support—through reading my weekly newsletter, praying, and giving financial support. Truly, I am so grateful.

Be assured that I keep all of you in my prayers as I continue to pursue this call God has placed on my heart to grow my small business in serving other Christian authors to bring more true, good, and beautiful books into the world. :)

My Prayer Book series: The Rosary Invitation Devotional Journals

Start the series today!

My Fiction Book series: The Divided Kingdom

Start the series today!

Please share this newsletter with family and friends! :) Thank you for your support, and may you be nestled up with a good book before bed as often as you can. God bless you and your loved ones!

Share Trinity Tree Books

Allison from Trinity Tree Books here.

I’m thrilled to have finally sat down to craft a new newsletter for you all…

We are back in ordinary time, and I’ve been blessed by a full month filled with many blessings and moments of joy - a glorious four-mile Corpus Christi procession, a friend’s priestly ordination, a celebration of 90 years around the sun for my grandfather, a sister-in-law’s high school graduation, a beautiful lakeside retreat, and a talk I was blessed to give to fellow young adults on the Sacred Heart - these and so many more beautiful moments of communion and grace were granted to me this month, and I couldn’t be more thankful.

(Below are just a few images that highlight this past month.)

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a beautiful devotion with origins in the 1600s with Jesus’ appearances to St. Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque. Our Lord desires for His burning love, an unquenchable fire, to be unleashed over the whole world. His heart is overflowing with love for each and every one of us, if only we would accept the love He seeks to give. And we have the invitation to bring the inmost corners of our own hearts to Him. He desires for us to recognize that we are fully seen and known in the shelter of His Heart, and that we can unite our joys and sufferings to His heart, freeing us from carrying anything alone, and even sharing, in a small way, in the consolation of His own heart, pierced and wounded by all the lack of love in the world.

What’s new at Trinity Tree Publishing?

In writing:

I’m STILL working very slowly on my third and final fiction trilogy book: The Return. I’m not sure whether I’ll make my September publication goal, but I also know that sometimes we have writers’ block for a reason, and perhaps I just have to be patient and wait for the Holy Spirit, as I’ve been stuck in the middle of the story for some time now. Prayers for more inspiration appreciated!

New to The Divided Kingdom series? Read the book one blurb below to learn more:

Adeline Rye adores books, history, and art but feels unseen in a society that values advance in medicine and technology above all else. With her father as the leader of their island civilization called Mirror, she has little room for error. To ensure peace and eliminate violence, the islanders are divided across three separate communities and commanded to abide by the 613 laws given to their leadership by The Originator. Forty years prior, The Originator guided the people to the safety of the island at a time when lawless raiders pillaged and burned their homeland.

When Adeline, with the help of her two best friends, begins to question the community divisions and the 613 laws they live by, she is met with opposition at seemingly every turn. In her quest for answers, she meets Cayde, who is experiencing a complicated reality of his own. Together they work to unravel the secrets behind the island kingdom of Mirror and discover what it means to be truly seen.

Start the series today!

In book editing:

I have completed all the editing projects on my schedule this month! Wow! It was sure a busy time for new books to edit, but I am so thankful for each and every one I received.

I am taking clients for the months of July and August, so please feel free to reach out if you are in need of an editor. You can learn more about my services below.

Editing with Trinity Tree Publishing

A special shoutout to two of my editing clients and the recent publications of their books, which I edited!

F.G. Jolley recently published Neon Haiku, a collection of original poetry, and W.H. Bailey published Refined By Fire, a medical thriller. I encourage you to check out their books from Amazon!

For Readers

What I’ve been reading:

I recently finished the Forever Mine Series of Catholic romance novels by author Angie Sue Dobbs. If you’re looking for clean and faithful Christian romance books for young adults, I’d recommend this series.

Read here!

While I’m not quite done yet, I have been enjoying Bethany Atazadeh’s latest release, Liar in the Hollow Court, the first in her new series: The Courts Beneath. If you’re a fan of fantasy (mythical beings like fae, elves), I’d recommend this book.

Read here!

For Writers

NEW podcast episode!

I recently released a new Work of Thy Hands podcast episode sharing some reflections on what I’ve noticed over the ups and downs of my marketing these past five years. This episode is for anyone seeking camaraderie and support in the often-overwhelming world of marketing our books.

Listen here

NEW YouTube video!

Below is my next content creation video, this one for the month of June! The video offers recommendations and tips for creating Christian content that aligns with and supports the liturgical calendar.

Watch here

Thank you!

From the bottom of my heart, I couldn’t pursue this dream of mine to write books and help others do the same if it weren’t for your faithful support—through reading my weekly newsletter, prayers, and financial support. Truly, I am so grateful.

Be assured that I keep all of you in my prayers as I continue to pursue this call God has placed on my heart to grow my small business in serving other Christian authors to bring more true, good, and beautiful books into the world. :)

My other series: The Rosary Invitation Devotional Journals

Start the series today!

Please share this newsletter with family and friends! :) Thank you for your support, and may you be nestled up with a good book before bed as often as you can. God bless you and your loved ones!

Share Trinity Tree Books

We are still in the Easter Season, and I’ve been enjoying planting my first vegetable/herb garden in our new backyard, as well as lots of flowers in the front yard. Many afternoons and evenings spent reading on the back deck have been a blessing. It was also a great joy to celebrate the baptism of my goddaughter and niece this past weekend!

The Rosary Invitations! :)

Yes, it’s officially May, the month of Mary, and the time when so many flowers are in bloom. This is also one of my favorite times of year to share about my series of devotional prayer books on each set of Rosary mysteries.

I published Breathe Deeply, on the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary back in 2021, not expecting to continue with books on the other three sets of mysteries, but by God’s grace and the encouragement of readers, themes emerged that felt right to center each devotional on.

Each unique theme that readers explore through the series takes place in the “garden” setting of the pages, envisioning a stroll with Mary to the heart of the garden: Jesus.

The Joyful Mysteries invite readers to encounter peace through anxiety; the Luminous Mysteries point to friendship in community; the Sorrowful Mysteries encourage humility as the bedrock of faith, and the Glorious Mysteries focus on awe and wonder on our path to sainthood.

Each devotional includes short stories, meditations, reflections, original prayers, journaling prompts, discussion questions, and more! This is a great resource both for individual and small group studies.

Start the series today!

What’s new at Trinity Tree Publishing?

In writing: I’m continuing to plug away at the third and FINAL book in my Christian YA dystopian trilogy (The Return) and still praying to be ready to release the book on September 27th! This is the perfect series for teens and young adults.

You can learn more about my progress in a recent episode I recorded on my podcast:

"Returning to Writing a Fiction Series"

New to the series? Read the book one blurb below:

Adeline Rye adores books, history, and art but feels unseen in a society that values advance in medicine and technology above all else. With her father as the leader of their island civilization called Mirror, she has little room for error. To ensure peace and eliminate violence, the islanders are divided across three separate communities and commanded to abide by the 613 laws given to their leadership by The Originator. Forty years prior, The Originator guided the people to the safety of the island at a time when lawless raiders pillaged and burned their homeland.

When Adeline, with the help of her two best friends, begins to question the community divisions and the 613 laws they live by, she is met with opposition at seemingly every turn. In her quest for answers, she meets Cayde, who is experiencing a complicated reality of his own. Together they work to unravel the secrets behind the island kingdom of Mirror and discover what it means to be truly seen.

Start the series today!

In book editing: I am currently working on/have scheduled several editing projects this month of May, both for author friends and for Christian publishers.

Right now, I’m working on or have scheduled a fictional vocations story set in the early 2000s, a spiritual devotional, a children’s book, a fictional novel on boxing, and a memoir about sweet onions! I am so blessed by the variety and creativity of each and every project I get the opportunity to work on. God is good!

I am currently booking my editing schedule into June, so if you are at that stage of your writing where you’re ready to work with a professional editor, consider checking out the services on my website:

Editing with Trinity Tree Publishing

For Readers

What I’ve been reading: I just finished the third book in the Martha and Marya series published by Chrism Press. If you love a good Catholic mystery with lots of humor and intrigue, I’d highly recommend this series.

Read here!

Mark your calendars for July 24th! My author friend Kelsey Gietl is preparing to publish her next book, a Hawthorn Asylum novel that takes place in 1914! Kelsey writes wonderful Christian historical fiction.

Learn more here!

For Writers

The Christian Business Summit (of which I am a contributor) is LIVE tomorrow and Wednesday! (May 5-6). The Summit includes lots of free lessons, videos, and handouts on all things business for Christian women.

Learn more here!

Thank you!

From the bottom of my heart, I couldn’t pursue this dream of mine to write books and help others do the same if it weren’t for your faithful support—through reading my weekly newsletter, prayers, and financial support. Truly, I am so grateful.

Be assured that I keep all of you in my prayers as I continue to pursue this call God has placed on my heart to grow my small business in serving other Christian authors to bring more true, good, and beautiful books into the world. :)

Please share this newsletter with family and friends! :) Thank you for your support, and may you be nestled up with a good book before bed as often as you can. God bless you and your loved ones!

Share Trinity Tree Books

I’m your host, Allison Ramirez, founder of Trinity Tree Publishing, a small business dedicated to helping Christian authors bring more true, good, and beautiful books with clarity, confidence, and grace. You can find me and my work at trinitytreepublishing.com.

If any of that sounds like you or someone you know, please subscribe or share this podcast. I’m so glad you’re here!

Today, I’m sharing my return-to-writing journey after several months off!

I love supporting talented authors of faith (many of whom are part of my author community) and advocating for the literary consumption of more true, good, and beautiful books. I hope you enjoy these books just as much as I did!

~ Memoir, Prayer, and/or Saint Books I read in 2025 ~

Ellie Hiller came to me asking for proofreading for her lovely spiritual memoir on how she converted from Protestantism to Catholicism, and, in particular, the impact a theology of health had on her conversion and faith.

This is a truly articulate and beautiful memoir! I highly recommend. :)

“I was taught to convert Catholics—then I became one.”

Ellie Hiller grew up in the heart of the Protestant Bible Belt, immersed in a faith she believed was unshakable. Her faith shaped everything—her worldview, her family, her friendships, her marriage. Raised in the Church of Christ yet educated K-12th grade at the flagship school of the Presbyterian Church in America, Ellie lived within two traditions divided on many points of doctrine but united in one conviction: Catholicism had perverted the simple, saving Gospel and turned it into “traditions of men.”

Confident she would find these answers in her Protestant tradition, she set out to uncover a biblical theology of the body. But when her husband of four years told her he wanted to become Catholic, her unshakeable faith began to crumble, and her worldview unraveled. In her grief and desperation to stop his conversion, God began a work in her heart—using her very questions about the place of the body in His plan for salvation to lead her toward a sacramental faith.

Her story is one of struggle and surrender–an unlikely journey that led her, step by step, into the arms of the Church she once sought to save others from.

Purchase here!

Find Your Fight was a book I edited as a freelance editor for Ave Maria Press. While I am not the target audience for this book (it’s geared towards dads in their forties with middle or high-school-aged kids), the book is an in-the-trenches rallying cry for dads to rise up and be all they ever hoped they could be (and more!).

“Since our exile from Eden,” Blanski writes, “God has been using ‘boring dads’ to save the world.”

Find Your Fight: Rugged Wisdom for Faithful Dads Who Refuse to Settle is a rallying cry for men who refuse to coast through midlife. Ending each chapter with practical reflections (best pondered over whiskey and a firepit), Blanski challenges dads to reclaim their mission, reframe their vocation, and find holiness in the grit of everyday life. Perfect for dads who want more than just survival in the suburbs, this is a bold invitation to live with purpose, fight for your family, and become the man God is calling you to be.

Purchase here!

This was one of the first books I listened to in the car on audiobook! As someone who has struggled with anxiety for many years, I found the personal stories and practical wisdom relatable and helpful, especially as approached through a lens of faith.

All of Catherine’s years of counseling assembled into a guide, offering easy-to-implement tools, strategies, and techniques to help you experience mental wellness. The Catholic Guide Through Anxiety will help you view yourself as an integrated person and open doors to understand what’s taking place biologically and spiritually during the onset of the anxious response, which is the place where most people get stuck in their battle to overcome anxiety.

Purchase here!

Behold the Wonder was a meditative book I edited (also for Ave Maria Press) geared as a devotional for the Advent and Christmas seasons.

This Advent, awaken your imagination and behold the breathtaking wonder of God’s love through the eyes of Mary.

Behold the Wonder invites you to experience Advent in a fresh and immersive way―by stepping into the world of scripture and witnessing the story unfold around you. Imagine breathing in the scent of lilies at the annunciation. Envision Mary embracing Elizabeth in joyful wonder. Pause to contemplate the hushed awe of the shepherds on that first Christmas night. Picture yourself traveling with the Magi beneath a guiding star, drawn to the radiant light of Christ.

Theology professor Catherine Cavadini and artist Anastassia Cassady blend the ancient monastic practices of lectio divina (divine reading) and visio divina (divine seeing) to lead you on a contemplative journey, inviting you to encounter Jesus as Mary did―with wonder, love, and trust.

Purchase here!

Yet another book I edited for Ave Maria Press was this concise 8-day guide with St. Pier Frassati (recently canonized as a saint last year). Currently, I am in the process of editing the second book in this series on Pope John Paul II!

The Frassati Field Guide is more than just a book―it’s a call to adventure! Discover Pier Giorgio’s passions, from hiking the mountains to praying before the Blessed Sacrament to serving his friends and the poor. He lived each day infused with faith, joy, and love, and this guide will help you do the same, one step at a time.

Will you answer the call? Step out, live boldly, and let your Catholic faith soar!

Purchase here!

Last but not least, one of my favorite memoir/prayer books in 2025 was on the spiritual life of Elizabeth Leseur! She is currently a Servant of God on the path to sainthood, and her spiritual writings are most insightful.

Purchase here!

Élisabeth and Félix Leseur began their life together in France as a carefree young couple with a bright future ahead of them. They were beautifully and compatibly matched, except for one major difference—Élisabeth was a devout Catholic, and Félix was a firmly decided atheist. As they faced the seasons of life together, their relationship was tested, and both were called to deep spiritual transformation.

Out of love for her husband, Élisabeth spent her life offering her many sufferings for the sake of his conversion. After her death, and in response to the profound love he encountered in her writings, Félix converted and offered the rest of his life to God as a Dominican priest.

This biography is a lovely narrative of their marriage and the transformative power of God’s love and grace in their lives. It also presents a charming picture of upper-middle-class French society at the turn of the last century. The cause for the canonization of Élisabeth Leseur has been opened by the Catholic Church.

Trinity Tree Books! :)

I published my first book in 2021 as a deep dive into each set of Rosary mysteries, and I haven’t looked back since. Each devotional has a unique theme that readers explore in the “garden” setting of the pages, envisioning a stroll with Mary to the heart of the garden: Jesus.

Start the series today!

My other series is a sci-fi/dystopian trilogy titled The Divided Kingdom! I’m currently revising the third and final book set to release in September of this year.

Start the series today!

Adeline Rye adores books, history, and art but feels unseen in a society that values advance in medicine and technology above all else. With her father as the leader of their island civilization called Mirror, she has little room for error. To ensure peace and eliminate violence, the islanders are divided across three separate communities and commanded to abide by the 613 laws given to their leadership by The Originator. Forty years prior, The Originator guided the people to the safety of the island at a time when lawless raiders pillaged and burned their homeland.

When Adeline, with the help of her two best friends, begins to question the community divisions and the 613 laws they live by, she is met with opposition at seemingly every turn. In her quest for answers, she meets Cayde, who is experiencing a complicated reality of his own. Together they work to unravel the secrets behind the island kingdom of Mirror and discover what it means to be truly seen.

Thank you!

From the bottom of my heart, I couldn’t pursue this dream of mine to write books and help others do the same if it weren’t for your faithful support—through reading my weekly newsletter, prayers, and financial support. Truly, I am so grateful.

Be assured that I keep all of you in my prayers as I continue to pursue this call God has placed on my heart to grow my small business in serving other Christian authors to bring more true, good, and beautiful books into the world. :)

Please share this newsletter with family and friends! :) Thank you for your support, and may you be nestled up with a good book before bed as often as you can. God bless you and your loved ones!

Share Trinity Tree Books

I hope you enjoy and that they help you enter into these next few days.

Sanctus Declaratus
“Declared Holy”

Holy Thursday.
For it is written, “Be holy, because I am holy.”
God, who shows us holiness in serving rather than being served.
God, who offers us holiness in Himself as our food and drink.
From the beginning, holiness.
Because God is holy.

While at the table, trouble.
Trouble in the threat of betrayal.
Trouble in the allure of riches.
Trouble with the desire for a worldly king.
And yet–
Holy Thursday
Because God is holy.

Misunderstood by His closest friends: Even then.
Questioned and ridiculed by the authorities: Even then.
Abandoned by His disciples: Even then.
Self-sacrificed in surrender for the ungodly: Even then.
Holy Thursday
Because God is holy.

The joy of new life–
Sprung from the sinews of a rib:
“At last, this one is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh...
And the two shall become one.”
Culminated in the flesh of Christ:
“Take and eat, this is my body, given for you…
Whoever eats my flesh remains in me.”
From the marriage of man and woman
to the marriage feast of the Bride of Christ.
The joy of new life–
Holy Thursday
Because God is holy.

Just as water was poured out over the disciples’ feet to cleanse the body,
so too was the blood of the covenant poured out for many to cleanse the soul.
“Do you understand what I have done for you?” He asked them.
*
That night, they broke bread.
They drank wine.
They shared in fellowship around the table.
They sang hymns.
But in the evening twilight, there was a passing over from the ordinary to the extraordinary–
An inauguration of mercy, divine communion, and an overflowing of grace.
*
For bread had become His body.
Wine had become His blood.
A room of fellowship for friends–now a parsonage for priests.
A communal hymn sung on the wind along the garden path–
now liturgical music wafting like incense to the altar of the cross.
Holy Thursday
Because God is holy.

Mandates of love:
“As I, your Lord and teacher, have done, so you should wash one another’s feet.”
“This is my body given for you; do this in memory of me.”
From the Last Supper to the Universal Church:
Holy Thursday.
Because God is holy.

Bona Declarata
“Declared Good”

Good Friday.
For who is good but God alone?
God, who in an act of sheer goodness, birthed the world.
God, who saw all He had made, and declared it good.
From the beginning, goodness.
Because God is good.

While in the garden, trouble.
Trouble with temptation.
Trouble with the seed of doubt.
Trouble with whether to take or to trust.
And yet–
Good Friday.
Because God is good.

A hole in the good fruit?: Even then.
A hole in the human heart?: Even then.
A hole in the fabric of creation?: Even then.
A hole between God and man?: Even then.
Good Friday.
Because God is good.

Generations of grasping.
Unable to fill the hole.
Unable to reattach the fruit.
Stop the juices from bleeding.
Restart a heart beating brokenly.
Console the groanings of creation.
Unable to walk again with God in the garden.
And yet–
Good Friday.
Because God is good.

The Lord God was walking in the garden…
He called to them with brokenhearted love, “Where are you?”
They were hidden when He found them.
*
The Lord God was walking in the garden...
He called to them with brokenhearted love, “You could not keep watch with me?”
They were asleep when He found them.
And yet–
Good Friday.
Because God is good.

*

From Adam to Peter, the Lord God walked in the garden.
As He walked, He fell to His knees.
His sweat became drops of blood, watering the earth:
the dry, cursed earth of thorns and thistles, of sweat and toil, to which
God cried out to Adam: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
The Lord fell prostrate to the garden ground in prayer.
He cried out to Peter, “My soul is sorrowful, even unto death.”
The death of God Himself–
God, who brought the garden back to life by the fruit of His suffering.
Good Friday.
Because God is good.

The Son reattached the fruit through the thrust of a lance –
Stopped the juices from bleeding with His own blood.
Restarted a heart beating brokenly by offering His own sacred heart.
Consoled the groanings of creation with His thirst.
All so that we could walk again with God in the garden.
Good Friday.
Because God is good.

The hole was filled.
God, who in an act of sheer goodness, birthed the world through His first divine breath, rebirthed the world through His last earthly breath.
God, who saw all He had made and declared it good.
Good Friday.
Because God is good.

Right now, my fiction books The Divided Kingdom and The Exile are on sale for $10 through Amazon and $7 through my author website!

Thanks to Catholic Reads for this detailed and honest review of book #2 in my fiction series, The Exile!

Grab your copy for $10!

Check out the series on my website!

In this second installment of The Divided Kingdom series, things are changing on the Island of Mirror. Tensions rise in the aftermath of Adeline’s defiance against the Originator and her escape from the city, and everything and everyone she loves is in danger of being lost—if she hasn’t lost them already. Matthias and Cayde begin to show her a different way of life, oriented toward El Roi and free from the oppression of the Originator, but can she really escape? With Representatives crawling the Island, and her own father hunting her and her friends, Adeline must decide whether she will stay in the land she’s always known, or attempt to find the fabled Island of Memory. As events unfold and the curtain is slowly drawn back from the mysteries of Mirror’s—and Adeline’s own family’s—past, not only are shocking evils revealed, but also new hope. As their adventures continue, Adeline, Cayde, Lincoln, and Ellen not only discover truths behind the island’s darkness, but that El Roi has greater plans for them than they ever dreamed for themselves.

Fans of dystopian sci-fi fantasy, and even fans of romance, may enjoy this second book of the Divided Kingdom Trilogy. Careful readers may recognize the three mysterious helpers who arrive to accompany our main characters in various parts of their quests, and supernatural elements again tip this dystopian sci-fi into the fantasy realm. One of the aspects of book two that I enjoyed most was the gradual development of Ellen and Lincoln’s relationship. I’m a sucker for romance, so those elements drew me in. Readers familiar with the book of Tobit will notice similarities and find fun parallels. I look forward to seeing where things go in book three. Readers who enjoy or don’t mind blatant Catholicism in their stories are the best fit for The Exile, as it leans even further into its Catholic identity than the first book.

As in the first book, The Exile grapples with the value of the human person, and the dire consequences that result when human dignity is disregarded. We learn even more about what function, exactly, the Island of Mirror serves, and more about who is behind its nefarious operations. That said, there are still a few mysteries left unsolved, and I expect these themes will be further explored in book three.

One of the primary themes in this book is that of human weakness, the brokenness that results, and the choice between resentment and mercy. Many of the characters have pasts they regret, mistakes they made, and people they hurt. Each of the characters deals with these regrets in their own way. Some have taken the path to self-destruction, while others find mercy and reconciliation. Ultimately, the story offers hope for healing, even in the case of bitter betrayals and utter failures. God is bigger than all of it.

Towards the end of the book, there was a beautiful scene that actually brought me to tears, and brought one piece of the storyline to a satisfying conclusion. At the same time, it felt like it ended a bit abruptly, and I would have liked just a bit more closure.

As in the first, book two has a couple of moments of sci-fi/fantasy violence that may disturb sensitive readers. There is also a mention of forced sterilization during a conversation between Ellen and Ruth, followed by a brief comment about how women can use Natural Family Planning to work with their bodies’ fertility. The mention of NFP felt a bit forced, but it needn’t concern careful parents.

Overall, I enjoyed The Exile even more than Divided Kingdom. I recommend reading book one first (find the review HERE), since there are many things set up in that story that will be confusing in book two if the reader is unfamiliar. Returning readers are likely to get some thrills from the gradual revelations of both Mirror’s and Memory’s pasts, as well as more about Cayde’s mysterious condition, Adeline’s family history, and the true identities of some of the other characters. There are also some twists at the end that will feed reader anticipation for the third and final installment. (Due to release September of 2026!) Keep it on your radar!

Check out Catholic Reads

Are you (or someone you know) an author?

Hello friends of Trinity Tree Books newsletter! :)

From time to time, I like to remind you of my other newsletter, Trinity Tree Authors!

If you subscribe to this newsletter but are a Christian indie author (or maybe you know someone who is and could benefit from a supportive, prayerful community of Christian authors walking with one another through the self-publishing journey), please share this with them!

Subscribe to Trinity Tree Authors

Totally for FREE, when you subscribe:

• Newsletter posts with helpful content to the Catholic author (topics on self-publishing, business, creativity, writing, etc.)

• Access to a text-based chat where you can ask questions, share your successes and struggles, and connect with other Catholic authors

• The link to a 30-minute recording on Transcendentals and Self-Publishing

• Access to my Christian Author Prayer Resource Library (10+ resources and growing) of helpful handouts, templates, worksheets, and more!

• Opportunities to be interviewed on my podcast, The Work of Thy Hands

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Sharing in the journey of self-publishing with others is why I started my small business, Trinity Tree Publishing, to help fellow Christian authors find fulfillment and purpose in writing, editing, and self-publishing their faith-based books.

I was recently interviewed by Catholic Bard all about my author and publishing journey and inspirations!

Catholic Bard Feature!

After 5 years and 7 books into the indie book industry, I would love to share the joys and challenges I’ve faced in self-publishing and help you succeed with your own work as fellow Christian authors writing true, good, and beautiful things for the world.

Thank you for reading (and sharing!).

Trinity Tree Website

Hello and welcome to the Work of Thy Hands podcast, where we talk about all things writing, editing, and self-publishing for the Catholic author.

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I’m your host, Allison Ramirez, founder of Trinity Tree Publishing, a small business dedicated to helping Christian authors bring more true, good, and beautiful books into the world with clarity, confidence, and grace. You can find me and my work at trinitytreepublishing.com.

My intention is to blend creative writing with theology as we interview fellow indie authors on their books and discuss the day-to-day of running a book publishing business and of being co-creators with Christ as authors. If any of that sounds like you or someone you know, please subscribe or share this podcast. I’m so glad you are here!

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Returning to The Return

Hey friends! It’s good to be back with you today for a longer-form post here on Substack. It’s been a bit….because I moved! After 5 years of apartment living, my husband and I finally moved into a house for the first time.

We got the keys on March 1 and have spent the last two weeks moving everything in, organizing, and decorating our new place. I feel so blessed! The neighborhood we were living in before was unsafe, and the apartment unit was very rundown: feral cat colonies, mold infestations, little hot water. Now, we are in a much nicer area right by an elementary school, in an older home, but one a lot larger and nicer than where we lived before. Financially, I never thought it would work out for us to upgrade to something like this, but the Lord has provided and opened a door that made it possible for us to afford to live in a house in our very expensive state.

SO…now that we’re just about settled, I’ve finally turned back to writing books! And what am I working on now?? The long-awaited series conclusion to The Divided Kingdom series! For those of you unfamiliar with my books, I have published books 1 & 2 in a YA dystopian sci/fi trilogy, and the third and final book has been on the back burner for…honestly?…coming up on two years now! I published the first two books back in 2023 and 2024, but stalled out on publishing book 3 (the final!) because I was also simultaneously working on another book series that I wanted to complete first (which I did last month!).

Friends, I don’t recommend working on two book series at once, especially in completely different genres! Writing in totally different genres in general, sure, but trying to draft, publish, and market two completely different series at the same time proved to be biting off more than I could chew. Readers like to see series books released, generally at least within a year of the previous book, and it’s easy to lose momentum and for readers to forget about your series if it takes you a long time to write and publish the continuing book(s).

All that to say, The Return is in the works as my primary (and only) book project! Going forward, I’m planning to work on one book (or series) at a time to maintain some sanity. Currently, I am just about finished with the second full read-through of my latest draft of the book, and I’ve received helpful beta reader feedback. It needs several more rounds of revisions, but I’m aiming for a release date of September 27th of this year! This series has biblical themes, vocational discernment, futuristic scientific and medical technologies, and more.

Start the Series Today!

I’m debating trying a Kickstarter campaign for this particular book, as I know other authors who have found success crowdfunding the costs for their book publishing and also offering fun, bookish incentives to their backers! I’ve been considering something fun, like offering a special edition cover or an omnibus of all three books in one through Kickstarter. If you’ve used Kickstarter before to fund your book(s), I’d love to hear your experience!

As I mentioned above, I published the last book in my other series last month, and over on my YouTube channel, I have a forthcoming video where I share all about the inspiration behind this book and series as a whole.

If you’re looking for faithful content on being a Christian indie author, I typically post new videos on Wednesdays several times a month. Feel free to check out the channel and subscribe to be notified of new video content!

Find Me Over On YouTube!

Read the Other Books!

Blossom as Saints is actually the FOURTH book in a 4-book prayer devotional series I started back in 2021 as a deep dive into each of the sets of Rosary mysteries. Each book has a unique theme that readers explore in the “garden” setting of the pages, envisioning a stroll with Mary to the heart of the garden: Jesus.

Read the Other Rosary Books!

Thank you!

From the bottom of my heart, I couldn’t pursue this dream of mine to write books and help others do the same if it weren’t for your faithful support—through reading my weekly newsletter, prayers, and financial support.

Truly, I am so grateful, and be assured that I keep all of you in my prayers as I continue to pursue this call God has placed on my heart to grow my small business in serving other Christian authors to bring more true, good, and beautiful books into the world. :)

Please share this newsletter with family and friends! :) Thank you for your support, and may you be nestled up with a good book before bed as often as you can. God bless you and your loved ones!

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I love supporting so many talented authors of faith (many of whom are part of my author community) and advocating for the literary consumption of more true, good, and beautiful books. I hope you enjoy these books just as much as I did!

Today, we’re getting a look into Young Adult/New Adult fiction, with a taste of sci-fi/medical drama.

~ New Adult Books I Read (and loved!) in 2025 ~

I was the editor for this book, Unforeseen Peril, last year, and I was immediately drawn into this equal parts heartbreaking and beautiful story about a young wife and new mom experiencing Postpartum Psychosis after the birth of her daughter. It was the sort of story I had never read about before, shedding real and important light onto this not-often-discussed reality. See the synopsis below:

When the joy of motherhood turns to madness, can love conquer the shadows?
Adelaide's world unravels as postpartum psychosis tightens its grip, threatening to shatter her family. As darkness closes in, her loved ones must tread the fragile landscape of her mind.
Dan, her devoted husband, faces the impossible: holding their family together while battling his own fears. Will their unbreakable bond and the power of love be enough to vanquish the darkness, or will it tear them apart?
Dive into this heart-wrenching exploration of mental health, love, and resilience.

Purchase here!

This trilogy by author Hilary Walker was one I randomly came across one day on Amazon. I was looking for more Catholic fiction books, and the characters immediately pulled me in, as well as the author’s unabashed approach to exploring some often-undiscussed topics in the church, including how to remain obedient and faithful to the Lord under the leadership of corrupt clergy. The Kindle versions are only $1.99 on Amazon!

Start the series here!

I was also the editor for this book, Refined By Fire, last year, and while the author is currently querying the book with traditional publishers, so it’s not yet available for purchase, you can read the synopsis and learn more about the book here. Read the early review I left for the author below.

Learn more here!

“Refined By Fire is a heart-wrenching, redemptive story of a young woman’s journey of faith, and how her near-death experience opens her heart and soul to the possibility of life beyond death, and joy beyond grief. I enjoyed being an editor for this debut book, and readers will appreciate the attention to detail in the medical scenes, as well as the deep-seated friendship between Noah and Jenanie. Themes of forgiveness, loss, vulnerability, and the supernatural are interwoven to create a moving and thought-provoking narrative.” — Allison Ramirez, Trinity Tree Publishing

Tune In was another book I edited last year, and it falls into the Young Adult category. I very much enjoyed this story. The book is fast-paced, compellingly mysterious, and engaging all the way through. A great read for teens! I even had the author, Sarah Crowne, as the most recent guest on my podcast a few weeks back. Read the book synopsis below!

Pop sensation Nikki Scott has it all-fame, fans, and a voice that sells out arenas. But when her mother mysteriously dies mid-concert, everything collapses. Left only with her mother’s cryptic final words-“Cancel the show”-Nikki sets out for answers.

Teaming up with the estranged brother she barely remembers, Nikki uncovers dark family secrets-and a dangerous power stirring within her.

As a shadowy organization closes in, intent on weaponizing her voice, Nikki must unravel the truth before she becomes the ultimate instrument of control. The show must go on... but will it end in blood?

Purchase here!

The Curse He Chose was one of my favorite books of 2025! I had the pleasure of meeting Sr. Allison Regina Gliot last year at the in-person Catholic Writers’ Conference in Chicago, where we served on an editing panel together. She is a talented author, and the sequel to this book (of which I finished yesterday!) was absolutely riveting all the way through, an incredible story of faith with many plot twists! If you enjoy books on vampires, with a Catholic take, I’d highly recommend this series. The third and final book comes out this summer!

Purchase here!

Blossom as Saints is here! :)

Last but not least, I am thrilled that the fourth and final book in my Rosary Invitations series is here! The series has been over 5 years in the making, and I am grateful for Our Lady’s care and guidance as we’ve walked the gardens of grace together.

Purchase here!

Read the Other Books!

I started writing this series back in 2021 as a deep dive into each set of Rosary mysteries. Each devotional has a unique theme that readers explore in the “garden” setting of the pages, envisioning a stroll with Mary to the heart of the garden: Jesus.

Read the Other Rosary Books!

Thank you!

From the bottom of my heart, I couldn’t pursue this dream of mine to write books and help others do the same if it weren’t for your faithful support—through reading my weekly newsletter, prayers, and financial support. Truly, I am so grateful.

Be assured that I keep all of you in my prayers as I continue to pursue this call God has placed on my heart to grow my small business in serving other Christian authors to bring more true, good, and beautiful books into the world. :)

Please share this newsletter with family and friends! :) Thank you for your support, and may you be nestled up with a good book before bed as often as you can. God bless you and your loved ones!

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Get the book today!

It’s February 11…the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes!

Today’s the day! I am so blessed that after almost five years of hard work, I have officially completed my first book series. I am grateful to our mother Mary, who I know has truly walked with me throughout this entire process of drafting, revising, and publishing four books on the Rosary.

Setting out on this journey, I didn’t realize that I would be writing a whole series on the Rosary, but in walking the garden with His mother, I have grown closer to Our Lord, even to the point of discerning a vocation as a Lay Carmelite, inspired by the contemplation of Mary who “pondered all these things in her heart” (Lk. 2:19).

This particular book was a special one to write in being able to reflect on my time in Lourdes in 2023 and then to publish Blossom as Saints on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. I rediscovered my love for the simple things in life and our universal call to holiness and sanctity. Writing the creative stories for this particular devotional was also a lot of fun, and I am so excited to officially share them with you!

Listen to my recent podcast appearance on Lifelines Radio about Blossom as Saints!

Listen here!

Read the Other Books!

Blossom as Saints is actually the FOURTH book in a 4-book devotional book series I started back in 2021 as a deep dive into each of the sets of Rosary mysteries. Each book has a unique theme that readers explore in the “garden” setting of the pages, envisioning a stroll with Mary to the heart of the garden: Jesus.

Read the Other Rosary Books!

What Readers are Saying About Blossom as Saints!

Get your copy today! :)

Thank you!

From the bottom of my heart, I couldn’t pursue this dream of mine to write books and help others do the same if it weren’t for your faithful support—through reading my weekly newsletter, prayers, and financial support.

Truly, I am so grateful and be assured that I keep all of you in my prayers as I continue to pursue this call God has placed on my heart to grow my small business in serving other Christian authors to bring more true, good, and beautiful books into the world. :)

Please share this newsletter with family and friends! :) Thank you for your support, and may you be nestled up with a good book before bed as often as you can. God bless you and your loved ones!

Share Trinity Tree Books

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Work of Thy Hands podcast, where I, Allison Ramirez of Trinity Tree Publishing, interview Christian creatives on the ways they have seen their projects as co-creative efforts with Christ.

In this episode, I have a great conversation with Sarah Crowne on how she got into indie book publishing and started her small business.

Stay Connected with Sarah Crowne ~

Website: sarahcrownebooks.com

Instagram:

Trinity Tree Publishing

YAY! Though I’m just WEEKS away from publishing Blossom as Saints, the final book in my Rosary devotional series, I’ve ALSO been getting back into the creative headspace for fiction with this brand-new short story, just over 5k, from The Divided Kingdom universe! This little side project has helped me get back in touch with some of the characters from the long-awaited trilogy conclusion. I’m so excited to share this story with you! (And if you’ve read the first two books, tell me which characters you recognize in the comments!) This is literally like the only short story I’ve completed in forever, so I’d love to know what you think!

All the Trinity Tree Books

Even unto death

I locked up my family’s bookshop, tucking the ring of jingly gold keys into the emerald wool coat that hung past my knees. I bent to the little girl at my side and adjusted the peach wool cap atop her blonde curls before taking her small hand and stepping out onto the uneven sidewalk. I had told my husband I would be late getting home. Today was an important anniversary I couldn’t miss.

With my daughter in tow, we moved slower than I would have desired, eventually making it to the end of the street. We stepped onto the adjacent sidewalk, nodding to the locals I passed. The sun was just beginning to set over the sleepy town; today’s unusual warmth had been a gentle reprieve from the cold winter that had surrounded us for months. My feet crunched through a thin layer of snow, and I breathed in the crisp evening air.

Walking the familiar roads, the winter chill clinging to my skin, we headed towards the town cemetery. I had a strange habit, I had always been told, of finding them: abodes for the dead. I had moved a lot, always with my parents growing up. Now, as a young woman beginning a life of my own, I had finally settled. The three of us had, and in my mother’s childhood town, no less. The past always found a way of interconnecting with the present.

As my daughter and I neared the gate leading to “Rose of Sharon, Lily of the Valleys Cemetery”, a memory surfaced, and I let it pull me under.

I had been visiting cemeteries since I was five years old, not much older than my own daughter was now.

“Why do we have to visit graveyards?” I had asked, hand in hers as I stood in front of a cemetery for the first time, curly auburn hair refusing to be contained beneath my coat hood.

My mother reached down, tucking a strand of red hair behind my ear. “Well, Rose, as God’s people, we show mercy towards others, and burying the dead is one of those ways.”

I shivered. “But I don’t want to bury a dead person!”

“Oh, honey, not literally!” She knelt in front of me, cupping my small hand within hers. “Yes, burying the dead is a necessary part of life, but you aren’t expected to do that part. What we can do is remember those who have gone before us. We pay our respects by visiting cemeteries, placing flowers—physical gestures that show we care. These are corporal works because they relate to the body. Corporal means body, you see. There are also spiritual works of mercy. You know what spiritual means, right?”

I looked into her pretty blue eyes and shrugged. “Sort of.”

“Spiritual things nourish our souls.”

I hopped back and forth on the balls of my feet as my mother fingered a small picture of St. Joseph that hung on a lanyard around her neck. Prayer for a happy death, it read.

“Like praying for those who have died, that’s something you can do, right?”

“I guess.”

My mother smiled and wrapped her gentle arms around me, and I found my body warming at her touch, even as my immature mind was closed to the truths she was revealing to me. “I know you don’t understand now. I didn’t for many years. It wasn’t until I was grown that I really examined our faith and the reverence given to the body both in life and in death.”

As she continued to speak, I nestled deeper into her chest, breathing in the smell of her perfume: lemon and rose. Rose, like me. She used big words. Always had. Words a little girl couldn’t be expected to remember, but it was just her way, and in time, I learned to understand her.

“And I hope, when you’re grown, you’ll have the desire to show others mercy, as our Lord did.” She stroked my auburn hair once more. “And it doesn’t have to be visiting cemeteries. It could be feeding the poor, visiting the sick.” Her eyes twinkled. “Care for your own little one someday, perhaps. All sorts of things, really. I wish I had been taught all that when I was younger.” She placed her hands over my cheeks. “That’s why I’m teaching you now.” Then she leaned into my ear as if sharing a secret. I giggled. “And those who have died can pray for us too.” My eyes widened.

It was always on a Friday when we went to search out the graves where there were no flowers. When we found one, we placed our own: violets from Mother and roses from me, and sat on the grass to sing. I would curl up in her lap and listen; as I grew and learned the words, I would sing too. The older I got, the more I paid attention. Some days, my mother brought various prayers or devotions, reading them aloud to the cold stone names. But the older I got, the more embarrassed I felt. “Bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, you know, that’s why it’s so important to treat all bodies with the utmost care and respect.” I would try to force the words away. My mother was silly. Nobody talked like she did. The cemetery grounds we trod upon each week were places for bones, not flesh.

As our family traveled, moving to new towns throughout my childhood and adolescence, I became accustomed to all sorts of cemeteries. Now, as I stood at the edge of town overlooking this cemetery, just a small plot of land really, tucked behind the oldest buildings in the community, I unlatched the gate and stepped inside with my own little one. The grave markers stared back at us with deafening silence. There were thirty-three in all. I had counted them once upon a time. It was the smallest cemetery I had been in, but it was a small town. I hardly recognized the snowy path, the one that grew yellow and white daisies at the edges during the summer, marking the path to keep people from walking over anyone’s final resting place.

I brushed at the salt dripping down my face from tears that reminded me of where I was and why I was here. I wasn’t really in a cemetery. Sure, all around me were the headstones of people who had passed on, and dead flowers, crushed by the snow, littered the grounds where I walked, but these people meant nothing to me. They were silent names on stones, cold to the touch.

I walked on, pulling gloves from my pockets and stuffing a pair onto my daughter’s hands before my own. I had always thought that at the center of every cemetery should be a bright lamp. While headstones screamed lifeless, light screamed living, and if my mother was right, death wasn’t lifeless at all, but the gateway to a life greater than any other.

I moved on down the path, struggling with my emotions, knowing that at the very end of the yard, closest to the grove of still-living flowers beyond these old gates, was my mother. I pushed my shoulders back and walked onwards. Twenty-five years had come and gone around me, and we had been to a lot of places together, but never more places than these. I told myself I wouldn’t cry, but I did now, remembering when she was dying. Our walks through the cemetery gardens grew shorter, and the coats she wore grew longer and less fitted to her form. She laughed more, lingered longer by the dates on the headstones that matched her own, and in all of our songs, she sang softer, but with greater understanding. My father once said that every day we die a little more; I suppose that’s true, but what if you really are dying, right now, in this moment?

“Rose,” my mother said to me in the farewell chapter of her days. We were wandering through the cemetery—this cemetery—that took us over an hour to get to because there was so much snow. She’d never taken me here before. In the winter months, there was always snow, but this year had brought more than I had ever seen. I didn’t understand at the time why my mother wanted to go this far away from home.

“Yes, Mom,” I said, stopping as she did. The headstones surrounding us looked like blocks of ice, so much snow had fallen that I couldn’t make out any of the names.

“I’d like to tell you about this woman.”

I looked to where she was pointing, fresh powder snowfall falling across our hair and hands like manna. My mother reached down, brushing a layer of snow, inches thick, from the stone in front of her. I wasn’t sure how she found the grave she was looking for. I suppose if not for the giant oak tree standing behind it, she may not have. The tree’s branches bent like a thing in pain, struggling beneath the weight of ice and snow. I looked to where her hand had come to rest and furrowed my brow. We had never, in all our years visiting cemeteries, come across a grave of someone we actually knew. I took a step towards it, reading the name on the stone: Ariel Macey.

“I grew up with her,” my mother said softly.

“What do you mean?” My narrowed gaze mirrored my confusion.

My mother traced the name, sweeping her purple coat beneath her as she kneeled in front of it, ignorant of the wet ground. “Ariel Macey was my best friend.”

I knelt beside her, bracing myself for the wet ice, trying to find the meaning behind these words I didn’t understand. “She was eighteen when she died.” She turned to me, tracing the outline of my face. “Your age.”

I swallowed, every bone in my being pulled me to get up, to walk away, to leave this headstone to the silence.

“She died in a high-speed car crash.” My mother’s words were soft. “From a drunk driver.”

I bit my lip, watching the way my mother looked at the grave with longing, wishing I could somehow make it all okay.

“Our high school graduation was just one week away.” Tears leaked down my mother’s face. “I couldn’t wait to see my big sister in her cap and gown.”

“Aunt Ariel …my mother’s twin.” I breathed the name I had only heard my mother speak so rarely when I was very young, when I was a little girl, and she thought I had already fallen asleep. “Mom, this is Aunt Ariel?” I asked.

My mother looked at me, surprise evident in her eyes. “Yes. I didn’t think I ever told you about her.”

“You didn’t. Just sometimes, a long time ago, you’d mention her name.”

My mother nodded, turning back to the grave. “I wanted to tell you about her, but …” Her voice faltered. “I could never work up the courage.” She shook her head, covering her face with her hands. “I suppose it was just easier for me to forget. If I didn’t talk about her, then somehow … somehow the pain would be less real.

“Mom, it’s okay,” I reached for her. I had never seen my mother cry before.

“Oh, how I’ve missed her,” she whispered, words breaking on sobs.

I nodded, wrapping my arms around her. We stayed that way for hours, singing songs and saying prayers, like we always did. But this time it was different. The way the air moved around us, the way the trees swayed, and the snow cried down from the heavens made none of it the same.

“This is where I want to be,” my mother said to me at the end of our final song. “When I die, I want to be here. I want to be beside her. It’s taken me so long ...” she hesitated, looking to me. “To come back here, to my hometown after all these years …” She squeezed my hand. And I wanted you to be with me. So, you know where to take me.”

I drew back, looking at her. “Mom, but you know it will be a long time before then.”

My mother shook her head, running her hand along her sister’s headstone for the final time. “I know you’re ready for me,” she whispered, and I knew she wasn’t talking to me. In that moment, I understood why we were here, and I cried. My mother didn’t tell me not to.

Twenty-seven months later, it seemed both wrong and right to lay my mother in a cemetery. My only condolence was that she had lived to meet Lilly, the light of my life, before her forty-seven-year-old wick was extinguished. I was quiet. A different feeling touched me when my mother’s headstone was propped up into the soft ground, her name staring back at me in smooth lettering. I vowed never to enter another cemetery again.

Three years later, walking the paths now, the first time in a cemetery without my mother beside me, I pulled my coat tighter around myself. We had once walked this same path together, and now, just as it had been then, there was snow. There was so much snow that I couldn’t see the names on the headstones. Everything looked the same as it did when we were last here together. I turned my face to the wind, looking for the oak tree that marked Aunt Macey’s grave.

When Lilly refused to walk, I continued up the cemetery path with her in my arms, bundled against my chest. I had been following to bring her, but I couldn’t turn back now. I ascended a small hill. At the end of the cemetery was a woman. I stopped walking. It was so cold, I was surprised to see anyone else. I frowned, moving closer. As I neared, the woman’s outline became clearer, and I could see that she was bent over with age. The coat she wore was thin and tattered; it did little to keep away the biting ice.

I approached her, wondering when she would see me. Finally, I stepped up beside her. Making one final glance in her direction, I kneeled in front of my mother’s grave and, with my gloved hands, brushed away the snow. “Hi, Mom,” I said quietly to the ground, risking a glance at the older woman. “I’m here.” I swallowed. “Little Lilly, too, and we brought you a lamp.”

The older woman turned to me then. I could see her looking from the corner of my eye. I didn’t look at her but continued talking to my mother in front of her headstone. I took a small tea light from my coat pocket that I had gotten from our shop that morning, placing it in the lantern I held in my other hand. Gently, I placed the tea light inside, setting the lantern on top of the headstone. “Now you will always have light.”

“That’s beautiful,” the woman said. “And so if your little girl.”

I turned to her, forcing a small smile. “I figure if our loved ones are here, we wouldn’t want them to ever be in darkness.”

The woman nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.” She hesitated, “I’m so sorry for your loss. You look so young.”

“I am.” I shrugged, “My mother was too. But you know cancer; it doesn’t give much thought to age.”

The woman said nothing for a while, and I almost thought she had gone back to whatever it was she had been doing. Then she turned all the way towards me so that I could see her in the full: her white hair, thick and tied back, to her hands wrinkled and calloused. Her clothes were grey and baggy, and even her shoes, in the deep winter snow, were slippers.

“I’m visiting my son today.”

I looked to the grave she was standing over, realizing that I didn’t actually know who was buried there; I didn’t know anyone else buried in this cemetery besides Aunt Macey and my mother. The snow kept everything hidden. I frowned. Though, come to realize, my aunt’s grave was in the middle of my mother and this woman’s son.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

She nodded. “It’s been many years.” She touched her lifeless white hair. “I come here every year on his birthday.”

“Today is his birthday?”

She nodded again, “It’s his fiftieth birthday, but he only got eighteen of them this side of heaven.”

I frowned, confused at her wording, before saying, “He died on his 18th birthday.” I hesitated, unsure of what more to say. There was something I wanted to ask her, but I was afraid. A small bloom of certainty was growing that I desperately wanted to stomp out.

“I haven’t told anyone this story in over thirty years.”

I turned to her. “What story is that?”

“About my son.”

Little Lilly reached her little arms around me, and I held her tight. “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me.”

“No,” the woman blinked her eyes, frost evident on her eyelashes. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to.”

I shifted back and forth, trying to keep my feet warm as the street lights around the cemetery perimeter turned on. “Okay.” A few more minutes couldn’t hurt. And then I’d get Lilly home.

The woman absently touched her ponytail and looked back and forth between me and her son’s headstone. “I pray for him every day, you know. Not a day goes by that I don’t.”

I said nothing, trying to recall my mother’s words from when I was young, and she took me to that first cemetery.

“He … he was so young. That’s what I remember most about it all. He was young, and he… he thought he could do anything.”

I nodded.

“But that night, he took it too far. His friends … they weren’t good kids, and my son, he wanted to fit in, to be liked,” she released a shaky breath. “You know how kids are.”

“Yes.”

“And he…” The woman looked away, rubbing tears from her eyes. She exhaled, shook her head. “He took my car, and he…” She appeared to be forcing the words to become real. “He… crashed it.”

I closed my eyes.

“And the other car… the girl inside, she …” The woman began to cry, sobbing so much that I knew that nothing I would be able to say would make any of it okay.

“She… she died.”

I looked between the gravestones before me, Aunt Ariel’s and this man’s, and that uncomfortable bloom of certainty blossomed as realization screeched through my head like a freight train.

“My son died that night, and my heart broke into a thousand pieces but…. when I heard that his actions had caused…” Her words broke. “Jonathon Winters was my son,” she whispered, “and not a day goes by that I don’t think of him.”

“Ariel Macey,” I said, seeing that the second date on both stones was truly the same. “They were buried next to each other.”

The woman furrowed her brow. “Of course; they were the best of friends.”

My thoughts went to my mother, of the times she had called her sister her twin, “the best of friends”. I looked between the three stones: Ariel’s, Jonathan’s, and my mother’s.

“She’s my aunt,” I finally said, the words rolling lifelessly off my tongue.

The woman stared at me for several moments, not uttering a sound. She was so still that I almost reached for her arm, wondering what she was thinking about. Finally, she looked at me, her tears like diamonds in her eyes.

“So, you’re Violet’s daughter then,” she finally whispered.

I bit my lip.

“Oh, my dear sweet girl,” the woman said. “I’m so sorry for your loss. But your mother, she always said that one day she would be with her two best friends again.”

In that moment, I realized that the woman had known who I was the moment I stepped up beside her. We cried together for a while, and then, to my surprise, the woman pulled out songs of her own, and we sang together. At the end, we concluded with several prayers.

“You believe in God?” I asked, brushing ice from my pants with one hand, now soaked, as we both rose from where we had been kneeling. Lilly, to my surprise, had fallen asleep in my arms. I should have been freezing, but an unexpected warmth had begun to spread up my toes.

“Yes, and you?”

I hesitated, realizing that perhaps there really was something I had missed all of these years.

“Well, I go to church weekly, but I’ve been on the fence for a while.”

The woman touched my arm. “You’re welcome to attend with me this Sunday. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, it’s just across the way in the neighboring town.”

“I know, and I might. Thank you.”

The woman nodded, and we walked together back down the once-green path over the bed of snow to the gates.

“It was wonderful to meet you, Rose,” the woman said. And then smiling at Lilly, “You too, little one.”

I opened my mouth to respond likewise and then stopped, realizing that I had never actually told her my name.

“How did you…”

“Violet always said that if she ever had a daughter, she would name her Rose.”

I raised my hand to the gate, pressing my gloved hand against it as my own tears sparkled at the edges of my eyes. Even though snow was falling around us, the gate was warm to the touch, and I felt a comfort that I hadn’t felt in a long time.

***

A week later, I raced across town. The roads were shorter than I remembered, and in what seemed like only a moment, I was standing before the steps. I hesitated before ascending them, even though I had ascended them weekly for months, today felt different: a shifting of uncertain proportions. I stopped at the top, the emptiness hitting me like a cold wave. Once inside, I walked down the aisle, passing row after row of pews. I gazed up at the walls, stunned by the mantles of stained glass that adorned them. I walked to the front of the church, kneeling awkwardly in the first row.

I jumped as a melodic ringing cut through the air, and the emptiness was filled with music. Almost falling out of my seat, I yanked my head up in search of the sound. In the corner of the room, I saw an organ, newly painted with an arched lid and slim legs. I stood up, catching sight of a middle-aged man, my father’s age, his practiced fingers moving along the keys as if they were dancing. His eyes were closed, but I recognized him instantly. Fr. Ezra. My young husband and I had moved back here, to my mother’s hometown, shortly before her death, and she had spoken fondly of him, another friend from childhood. I’d seen him each week at Mass, but this was the first time I had ever considered speaking to him.

***

“Always remember that with God, all things are possible. Many will tell you otherwise, but even death cannot separate us from the ones we love, Rose.”

I looked up, and he had turned away from the organ to look at me. I swallowed. “So, you know who I am.”

He smiled. “How could I not? You look just like your mother.”

I couldn’t help cutting to the chase. “Father…I visited cemeteries a lot with my mother before… well, I just don’t see how a plaque and an old box in the ground can be alive. My mother used to say that the dead could…pray for us, which would imply they are… still alive, right?”

Father Ezra laughed from his musician’s bench, and I smiled.

“Those who die are even more alive than we are, and they still impact life here on Earth with their prayers.”

I nodded. “Sounds like something my mom would have said. She always told me that we should pray for those who have died and that they pray for us.”

“Yes, your mother is quite right in that. Praying for our loved ones not only draws us closer to them, but also to God, and His great love for all souls.”

“And that one day we will be with them, too?”

He smiled. “Be with Him, that’s always first—at home with our Creator. Of course, we want to see our loved ones again, but the Lord should always be the target of our arrow.” He flicked his hand as if casting an arrow towards an unseen mark. “Rose, you know more than you think you do. With a little trust and time, you will understand what your mother meant about the power of intercession. In the meantime, why don’t you choose one person you know who has died, and pray for that person by name every day for three months?”

I blinked. Every day for three whole months?! He isn’t gonna let me off easy, and this isn’t even an official penance!

I pursed my lips but nodded once. “Yes, Father. I’ll do it.”

***

90 days later.

“Father Ezra?”

He stopped where he had walked out of the confessional and smiled, and then noticed my daughter at my side, peering up at him with attentive eyes. “Hello again, Rose—and her twin.”

I tumbled out of my seat, rushing up to him. Lilly followed and reached for him, and he stretched out his hands. “May I?”

I nodded, and he took her up in his arms and held her to him, and Lilly laughed, content.

“What a most joyful child.”

“She is.” I paused. “And it appears she’s quite fond of you.”

His eyes crinkled. “The sentiment is mutual.” He looked away from Lilly and into my eyes. “More importantly, I see you found your way back.”

I ran my hand along the light wood of the organ. “You were right.”

Little Lilly in her bright blue dress was a splash of springtime color against his black cassock. “You’ll have to enlighten me,” he said.

I struggled to say all that I felt. “About the dead, about eternal life, about never really being gone from the ones we love. I...” Thinking of my aunt Ariel, I realized why my mother visited cemeteries all those years and prayed so much for those who had died. It was for the same reason that I did now.

“I realize now that I needed to come here,” I blurted.

“Yes.” Father Ezra stepped closer. “So, you came for Mass.”

“I ... I suppose I did. I…want the communion of the saints. I want to be close to them.” She had been struggling to remember what it was her mother had told her back then, and now she knew.

Father Ezra nodded, his black collar poking up around his neck. He handed my daughter back to me. As he stepped around to the organ and started playing the opening tune to a song my mother loved, “O Danny Boy”.

“Father Ezra.” My eyes filled with awe. “Who are you?”

He laughed, warming my heart. “One of God’s many servants, striving to be humble and faithful in all things. Do you have any prayer requests in mind, for that very same communion of saints?”

I looked up at him. There was nothing overly remarkable about him, but he commanded everything simply with his presence. A small twinkle reflected in his eyes as he regarded me, waiting.

I didn’t know what to say, so I walked back over to the pews, sinking into the front row. Lilly climbed up beside me. “Please,” my words were taken in by the silence. “Please give me the words.” I felt a rush of air blow through the church, and something settled within my heart. “I pray for my mother that she’s at peace. I’ve been doing so every day without fail for three whole months, just as Fr. Ezra asked me.” I stared up at the crucifix over my head and the Lord’s longing eyes, piercing my soul, imploring my heart. “Lord, I pray that she’s in heaven, with you, and that she’s happy. I pray that she never has to suffer again and that she’s hugging Aunt Macey.” I paused. “And Jonathon too.” I finished, “But most of all, I want to be fearless in the face of death. I want to meet it with grace, whenever it comes, and to spend my heaven doing good on earth, just like—”

My thoughts went to my namesake: The Little Flower, St. Therese of Lisieux, and I glanced at the pew beside me where my little daughter gripped a small rose. I immediately yanked it from her hands before she could feel the thorns. I scolded her. “Where did you find…” But she reached again for the flower, enraptured by its beauty, despite the thorns, and I released it to her.

I watched Father Ezra’s expression as his eyes moved to something behind me. I turned my head, glancing over my shoulder at the group of people entering the church. I caught sight of Jonathon Winter’s mother as the first parishioners arrived. She smiled at me before sinking into a pew towards the back. I recognized most who entered, including my husband’s new manager, a stoic man who had recently joined the city hospital staff, an hour drive each day out of the way from our small town. But my husband loved his work, and the drive didn’t deter him. It took me a moment to remember the man’s name: Jeremy Boam.

I glanced at a statue to the right of the altar of St. Joseph, the outstretched lily in his hand, and the Christ Child in the other. “That’s your namesake,” I whispered to Lilly.” I smiled. My husband was also a Joseph.

***

When it was time for Mass, Father Ezra entered to a hymn I remembered from childhood. Father Ezra led, his voice unimaginably beautiful. As the readings were read, I zoned out from the first but caught on to the words of the second. “…Neither death nor life, nor anything in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” As the Mass progressed, Fr. Ezra moved back to where he had started all along: at the altar. I kept my eyes shut the entire time. I wanted to watch, but I was afraid. With Father Ezra’s smooth voice captivating in every word, I simply listened.

When it was my turn to walk to the front to receive the Eucharist, I felt my heart beat faster. I had walked many aisles in my life; I had stood before many a black-collared man, my hands always outstretched, never fully understanding the true meaning of what I was experiencing until this moment.

Then I was there, standing in front of Father Ezra as he laid the host in my cupped hands. I stared at it for a moment, blinking as I tried to keep my hands from shaking, thinking of the falling snow in the cemetery, like manna from heaven, bringing life to a lifeless people. I lifted Him to my lips, closing my eyes as the host dissipated onto my tongue, vanishing within me. For the first time in my life, I felt true peace. I closed my eyes, seeing my mother’s smiling face in my mind, and I no longer felt I had to reach for her.

Start the Divided Kingdom today!

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Work of Thy Hands podcast, where I, Allison Ramirez of Trinity Tree Publishing, interview Christian creatives on the ways they have seen their projects as co-creative efforts with Christ.

In this episode, I have a great conversation with Emily Ann on her historical fiction novels, one of which is coming out in just a few short weeks, and the joys of indie book publishing.

Stay Connected with Emily Ann ~

Professional Email: emilyannauthor@gmail.com

Instagram: @Authoremilyann

Trinity Tree Publishing

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Work of Thy Hands podcast, where I, Allison Ramirez of Trinity Tree Publishing, interview Christian creatives on the ways they have seen their projects as co-creative efforts with Christ.

In this episode, I have a great conversation with Tiffany Germain on her award-winning debut novel, Converging Darkness, which she has plans for publishing later this year.

Stay Connected with Tiffany!

X: @Tiff_Germain.

Website: ⁠https://www.tiffanygermain.com⁠

Today, we’re getting a blast from the past in historical fiction novels!

~ Historical Fiction Books I Read (and loved) in 2025 ~

I was contacted by the author of this book to help with a once-over final proofread of The Queen’s Priest before publication. I was blessed to have been the editor for many wonderful books this year, but I believe this book was honestly my favorite, which is saying something, because I read a lot of amazing books this year. In particular, I was deeply moved both by the writing style and the witness of Blessed Thomas Abell’s life. Our priests need our prayers daily, and the faithful and courageous witness of this one brought me to tears. If you love historical fiction set in the 1500s, I highly recommend you add this book to your reading list.

Purchase here!

Another amazing historical fiction book set in the 1500s is Secret Dwellings, a book I was blessed to edit earlier last year. This book has already sold so many copies and was even selected as a winner in the recent Falling Dusk Publishing contest. I can’t wait for Angelina to complete the sequel!

Purchase here!

Stars in the Storm was one of the first historical fiction novels I read in 2025, and it lived up to (and even exceeded, in my opinion) the other three books in the Larksong Legacy series. I wasn’t an editor for this book, but I’ve faithfully read each book as it was released, and this is a great series with biblical and historical significance, set in 1800s Washington State (my home state!). Kelsey Gietl is a talented author of many noteworthy historical fiction novels.

Purchase here!

This next novel, Heart of the Glen, also came out in January of 2025. Jennifer Deibel is another historical fiction writer whose books I faithfully look forward to reading with each new release, and each book is a historical romance set in 1900s Ireland, one of my favorite places to read about.

Purchase here!

I was introduced to author Jessika Caruso last year when I interviewed her on my podcast, and her debut historical fiction novel set in the 1700s American Revolution is captivating and well-written!

Purchase here!

This was the first historical fiction novel I listened to on audiobook, and it thoughtfully navigated the terrains of difficulties in marriage, loss, healing, and new chances, and it’s the first in a series! I just started on the second book.

Purchase here!

While not yet published, keep your eyes out for this well-written novel, Theodore, set in the days of the early church during the Roman persecution of Christians. I just finished editing this beautiful book at the end of the year, and the writing is not only fantastic, but the heroism of the protagonist, Theodore of Shotep, a saint revered in the Eastern Orthodox Church, will truly move you to a greater depth of courage in your faith. This is a debut novel, and the release date is still being determined.

On February 11…the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes!

Last but not least, I am thrilled that in just about a month, I will be releasing the fourth and final book in my Rosary Invitations series! The series has been over 4 years in the making, and I am grateful for Our Lady’s care and guidance as we’ve walked the gardens of grace together.

PRE-ORDER the paperback!

Read the Other Books!

Blossom as Saints is actually the FOURTH book in a 4-book devotional book series I started back in 2021 as a deep dive into each of the sets of Rosary mysteries. Each book has a unique theme that readers explore in the “garden” setting of the pages, envisioning a stroll with Mary to the heart of the garden: Jesus.

Read the Other Rosary Books!

Thank you!

From the bottom of my heart, I couldn’t pursue this dream of mine to write books and help others do the same if it weren’t for your faithful support—through reading my weekly newsletter, prayers, and financial support. Truly, I am so grateful, and be assured that I keep all of you in my prayers as I continue to pursue this call God has placed on my heart to grow my small business in serving other Christian authors to bring more true, good, and beautiful books into the world. :)

Please share this newsletter with family and friends! :) Thank you for your support, and may you be nestled up with a good book before bed as often as you can. God bless you and your loved ones!

Share Trinity Tree Books

We’re back with Season 2 of The Work of Thy Hands podcast, where I, Allison Ramirez of Trinity Tree Publishing, interview Christian creatives on the ways they have seen their projects as co-creative efforts with Christ.

In this episode, I have a great conversation with debut fiction author Michael Vassallo about the story behind his book, Agatha’s Angel.

Check out Agatha’s Angel!⁠Agatha’s Angel: Vassallo, Michael C., Gable, Ellen: 9798339857570: Amazon.com: Books⁠

Stay Connected with Michael!

Professional Email: vassallomichael34@gmail.com

Website: https:www.michaelcvassallo.com

Stay connected with Trinity Tree Publishing!

Website: https://www.trinitytreepublishing.com

Looking to 2026!

Hello friends of Trinity Tree Bookstore newsletter! :)

I’m putting on my author hat today instead of my reader hat to tell you about my other newsletter, Catholic Author Companion.

Subscribe to Catholic Author Companion

I have some amazing new plans I hope you’ll consider being a part of if you are a fellow Christian indie author! (And if you’re not an author, maybe you know someone who is who could benefit from a supportive, prayerful community of Christian authors walking with one another through the self-publishing journey.)

I have carefully prayed over and prepared a comprehensive Catholic Author Companion community for indie authors that I’ll be launching in January.

The regular price will be $12/month or $120/year, BUT until December 31, I’ll be offering a 50% discount on the yearly plan, including all of the below for only $60!

In addition to 1 free post a month and access to my weekly video content over on YouTube, paid members will receive:

• 3 additional newsletter posts with helpful content to the Catholic author (topics on self-publishing, business, creativity, writing, etc.)

• 24/7 Access to a text-based chat where you can ask questions, share your successes and struggles, and connect with other Catholic authors

• The link to a 30-minute virtual webinar in real time with me and/or another publishing expert on a topic relevant to Catholic authors

• Access to my Catholic Author Resource Library (10+ resources and growing) of helpful handouts, templates, worksheets, and more!

• Opportunities to be interviewed on my podcast, The Work of Thy Hands

• 25% discounts on all of my paid author services (currently including editing and writing coaching)

• 50% off any of my future book publishing-related courses (*spoiler* one is in the works now!)

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Trinity Tree Website

It would be my joy to journey more closely with you on this journey of self-publishing. That’s why I started my small business, Trinity Tree Publishing, to help fellow Christian authors find fulfillment and purpose in writing, editing, and self-publishing their faith-based books.

After 5 years and 7 books into the indie book industry, I would love to share the joys and challenges I’ve faced in self-publishing and help you succeed with your own work as fellow Catholic authors writing true, good, and beautiful things for the world.

Thank you for reading (and sharing!). Rest assured, I’ll be back to regular bookish news, recommendations, and updates next week. In the meantime, I pray you enjoy this final week of Advent and experience a beautiful Christmas season. God bless you all! :)

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