Today, I am thrilled to be hosting the blog tour for Shadows: Visible and Invisible, a Hallowtide anthology by the Catholic Teen Book authors.
The talented Catholic Teen Book authors have combined their talents to create another exciting short story anthology. This time, the theme is Hallowtide, October 31st, November 1st, and November 2nd, otherwise known as All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day.
One of the interesting customs I learned about in reading these stories is “souling,” where people would go door to door, promising prayers for the dead in exchange for soul cakes. It’s similar to Trick or Treating but with a spiritual dimension. I pray for the Souls in Purgatory every day, and so I loved that these stories emphasized the importance of praying for the dead.
Grace and the Grave Robber by Leslea Wahl is a contemporary tale about a teen boy talking to his grandmother about whether to go to a Halloween party or a church-sponsored function. His grandmother shares a story about when she was young and her encounter with an unexpected man.
Bogey in the Belfrey is a historical work by Carolyn Astfalk that features Polish Hallowtide traditions and mysterious sounds coming from a choir loft.
Corinna Turner shares a dystopian tale in A Very Jurassic Hallowtide. When the main characters dig up a human bone, they pray for the dead and fast for souls, thinking it is the bone of a long-lost man, but when they discover whose bone it really is, they question whether they should be making the effort.
In Lucy and the Forbidden Secret, Antony Kolenc takes readers back to a monastery in 1186. Lucy’s father has just died and another sister takes a great risk to retrieve a special candle to pray for him.
Theresa Linden offers the contemporary tale Helpless. Vanessa doesn’t believe in ghosts but when she is hurt and stranded in a cemetery, she may change her mind.
Marie C. Keiser contributes a sci-fi story, At the End of His Tether, that takes place on a spaceship where a teen is chosen to be part of the cemetery crew taking care of remembrances.
The final story is a speculative work by T.M. Gaouette. The Far End of the Cemetery is an other-worldly tale about a soul waiting to get to heaven.
There is something for everyone in Shadows: Visible and Invisible. Fans of Catholic Teen Books may recognize some of the characters from other works, but you don’t need to have read those books to appreciate these tales. They are enjoyable for teens and adults and may even inspire you to pray for the dead.
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