The 2024 Avalon Lost Book Tour
Today, announcing the official schedule for the 2024 AVALON LOST Book Tour!
Avalon Lost Author Interview with Legend Fiction
Today I am delighted to share my first author interview for AVALON LOST, featured on "The Legend Fiction Show":
Of Kindergartens and Kings
"Why can't I just stay home with you, Mommy?" my son would ask me, day after day.
I wrapped him up in a big bear hug. "Well," I explained, "I am not a good teacher. I want someone who knows what they're doing to teach you."
Still, I thought about it. Maybe I could homeschool my son instead.
An Unexpected Diagnosis
And then on December 27, 2021, my son received a special needs diagnosis. This unexpected life change gutted my mental stamina for writing about tough topics. I needed to refocus my energy on helping our son.
My Writing Journey, Part I
During the past four years, I have discovered that my fantasy and real-life stories are often deeply and strangely intertwined.
Also, the cover reveal for Avalon Lost, my debut YA fantasy novel.
Madoc’s Choice
In honor of our 8th wedding anniversary this week, I'm delighted to present "Madoc's Choice," an epic fantasy romance set in the world of Avalon Lost. ❤️🏰
The Cloistered Heart, Part 3: Spiritual Heartache
You said you have so long waited...for the convent of the heart. When I first found Nancy Shuman's book, The Cloistered Heart, I just kept saying to myself, "How does she know?"
-Email message from Cora Brown, a Cloistered Heart
Mice Nuns, Cloistered Hearts, and More: A Late Summer Reading List
Dive into a collection of book titles, each specifically curated for the "Life After Convent" crowd!
The Cloistered Heart, Part 2
"Heart cloister can be lived by single or married persons, religious or clergy or lay, male or female. Because we carry our enclosure with us, we can be united in heart with God wherever we may be." - The Cloistered Heart Way of Life, by Nancy Shuman
The Cloistered Heart
Cora had assured me that twelve women were presently following this cloistered way of life. She’d also written that the Cloistered Heart was a “call” – something given to a person by God.
Jesus, are you calling me to this way of life? I wondered.
Welcome Valerie Inez!
Our third child, Valerie Inez Kreger, arrived 8 weeks early this February 2023. We are so grateful to God for our "feisty" little girl!
My Two Valentines
I wrote as if I had an audience. As if someone else would someday want to know what had happened to me on November 29, 2013. My heart told me that this little “thing” was the real thing—the first flowering of my betrothal to Christ, and a gift that would never be taken away from me, as long as I lived.
Out of Darkness, New Life
It seemed as if the dark cloud of PMDD hid also a secret gift. The disorder that had caused me so much suffering, was also the very thing that could produce new life.
A Surprisingly Simple Solution
The solution had ended up being so simple, it was almost funny. In the end, my latest piece of healing was a physical one.
Digging Deeper
I studied the month of June with dread. What would happen in two weeks, when I started having those alarming symptoms again? I felt a bit like a werewolf fearing the full moon.
The Search for Peace
“Then you have to find a way to stay calm, even when everything around you is not calm,” I lectured myself.
I needed to find a way to remain at peace during a domestic crisis. But how?
You Are Not Alone
I wondered if Jesus was also trying to show Father Philip that he was not alone. A small band of parishioners were still present, keeping vigil with Father and Our Lord until the very end.
A Reason to Keep Going
On the plane ride home from California, I started writing the “missing chapter”. My hope for healing was the reason I kept going.
Say Thank You
"When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow."
A Fresh Vista
I’d spent the last two years staring at the same four walls, the same few faces, the same sidewalks, parks and streets. In order to produce new writing—new art—I needed a fresh vista.
The Missing Chapter
My editor Ruth smiled encouragingly at me. “Can the convent deal with suffering? Can my writing deal with my suffering? These are questions your book will try to answer."
Race Across San Francisco
The next day, I had an in-person meeting with my editor Ruth in downtown San Francisco.
The Expansion
My heart was stretching, expanding. Preparing for something new.
So long, Lord, I thought. So long have I waited for this convent of the heart.
Revealing the Lord’s Face
The Lord loved me before I was following Him. He called me before I was listening. And He had a marvelous plan for me, long before I had given up making my own plans.
Building a Convent of the Heart, Part 2
"After six years of marriage and the birth of two children, Mary at last learns to build a convent of the heart."
That’s a beautiful way to end the book, I thought. But in real life, this hasn’t happened yet.
The Swing Dance: Recorded
Now releasing the audio version of "The Swing Dance", recorded by Mary and James Kreger ❤️
Fruit That Will Remain
Please pray for me, that I will write the story God wants me to share with honesty, clarity, and courage.
New Audio Recordings
As promised, today I’m releasing two new audio recordings for the blog: First Night Home and No Going Back.
Elizabeth’s Story, Part 4: The Grand Finale
Now that my husband James was home, it was time to have our baby!
Elizabeth’s Story, Part 3: Holy Week 2020
During Holy Week 2020, we weren't just reflecting on Christ's death and resurrection. James and I were living it out.
Elizabeth’s Story, Part 2: She Will Go Beyond You
Our baby girl would be born in that pandemic darkness, but she would not stay there.
Elizabeth’s Story: How We Said Yes to God’s Plan
My daughter Elizabeth was born in April 2020. My husband and I went on quite a journey to bring her into this world.
A Time for Everything
I am stepping back from writing new posts so that I can finish my convent book.
Building a Convent of the Heart
My editor and I were talking about my convent memoir, yes. But we were also talking about my life, right now.
A Future with Hope
With James and my family’s support, I could begin to look at my immediate future with a little more hope.
Eight Year Anniversary
Remembering 8 grace-filled years of life outside the convent. Plus, two new audio recordings for Life After Convent blog!
On Top of the World
When I started dating James, I wasn’t sure how this was going to work out. How could I be in love with the Lord, and then also fall in love with James?
Three First Dates
Although James and I planned to take things slow, three of our first dates took place in the span of a week. ❤️
My Poverty and God’s Providence
I left the convent on the Lord’s orders: “Go home and tell your family all that I have done for you.” I’d given Him complete reign of my life: all obstacles removed, no holds barred. And so He acted freely in it, turning even the smallest details of my life into signs and wonders.
Let Me Hear Your Voice
Today, I am proud to introduce a new feature to www.maryrosekreger.com: audio recordings!
The Swing Dance
April 26, 2014. The night when my story became our story. In honor of this special event, James and I have both shared our perspectives about the night when we first met. ❤
Dressing the Part
That morning I finally faced the truth: in order to find a husband, I’d have to start dating men.
Layperson In Training
When I asked Father what I should do now, I’d expected him to give a more vague answer. Instead, Father welcomed me deeper into the parish community, by inviting me to volunteer and get involved. He made me feel included, which I liked, but also challenged.
No Going Back
I was only one day out of the convent, but already I knew: there was no going back. My 19 months in the cloister had changed, healed, and marked me. Maybe you couldn’t see this mark, like you could my oddly cut hair and cheap new clothes. This transformation went far deeper than physical appearances.
First Night Home
Each new color and sound struck my senses with painful intensity. After 19 months of white walls, silence, and lowering my eyes, just standing in my mother’s kitchen was sending me into sensory overload.
Winter Wonderland
I'm even poorer than when I entered the convent, I realized, because now I don't have my religious community.
Sister, What Do You Desire?
“I’m healed, Sister. My back pain is gone, and I can feel again.” I sighed. “So why am I so miserable?”
Introducing: Life After Convent Blog
Welcome to Life After the Convent, a blog about finding new life after the convent, and other experiences of radical change. Future posts on the blog will include: Testimonies by…