big, Big, BIG News for Our Catholic Marriage Help Book!

My husband Manuel P. Santos, M.D., and I are thrilled to announce that the excellent publisher Ave Maria Press has offered us a contract to publish our Catholic marriage advice book, and we have signed on the dotted line! Read what the publisher had to say when they offered us the contract:

"Your book is artfully put together, passionate, and has spiritual depth."

Wow! We are overwhelmingly humbled and happy about this chance to help others in forming God-centered marriages. And because this seems like an Oscar speech moment, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our family and friends, new and old, who have helped us get to this point, especially the fantabulous Lisa Hendey and Sarah Reinhard (best mentors ever!).

What's in this book of ours? Through Scripture, catechesis, and personal stories, we teach couples how to:

• Become united to one another in body, mind, and soul
• Welcome children with joy
• Find a Natural Family Planning style that works for them
• Accept special-needs children with open arms
• Raise children to be successful saints
• Learn to love their in-laws
• Be a family at the service of other families
• Become wise financial stewards
• Work for the good of their family and God’s kingdom
• Stay together through praying together
• Imitate the example of the Holy Family

The end of each chapter provides five bonus features to stimulate in-depth conversation, greater understanding, and positive change: 1) Discussion Questions; 2) Action Plan; 3) Catechism Corner, with a quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church to think about or even memorize; 4) Papal Pointer, which contains wisdom from recent popes; and 5) More to Explore, which suggests additional online and print resources.

Our book is ideal for couples to read and discuss on their own either before or after the wedding. It is also a perfect choice for small groups like book clubs, pre-Cana programs, and marriage enrichment programs. Two appendices in the back of the book provide a sample six-week and twelve-week curriculum, and free downloadable worksheets will be made available online. Leaders can customize the curriculum by adding their own personal stories to illustrate the key topics. By encouraging couples to gather together in community to learn about these issues, our book motivates people to help themselves and help each other at the same time.

If you are interested in receiving updates about the book plus news and tips about Catholic marriage and family, please subscribe to the Can We Cana? blog by email. If you are involved in pre-Cana, marriage prep, or parish or diocesan ministry and would like to incorporate our book into your program, please email me directly at santoskaree@gmail.com.