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Dear Mrs. Carmen Marcoux,

At the beginning of this summer I was having small hopes about relationships.  So one of my sorority sisters gave me your book.  Let me just say, that as soon as I opened it, I could not put it down.  The story was so real.  And it felt as if I were a member of their family and congregation.
Through your story, I not only learned more about relationships, but also about my faith.  It was so much easier for me to understand our Catholic Church than any other book I had that focused on the Church.

You have helped me and my relationship with _____.  We were dating and then we decided to take some time away and focus on our relationship with God this summer.  Your story has helped us put our relationship into perspective.  When we do get back together, we will not be dating but courting.

I am so blessed that you were inspired to write a story where I felt God was speaking directly to me.

Thank You,
Rebecca (20 years old)

P.S. I cannot find your book.  If there is a way to get the book on-line or at any local store I would love to know.  I want to get a copy for my niece so that she may know how important her faith is in the game of life.  I do not want her to have to live the same mistakes that I did.

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Carmen,

I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your book!  You mailed a copy of the book to my mother, Lori.  She works at Heart of the Heights bookstore
in Concord, New Hampshire.  When I came home for summer break she gave me the book to read to see if it was good to put in the bookstore.

Well, she could not tear me away from the book!  I read it for days straight until I finished.  I found the book to be truly inspiring and my faith life has grown so much since I read the book. You have given me a new perspective on relationships.  Not only is the book a useful tool regarding relationships, it is also a way to learn more about the Catholic Church.

Again, I am so happy that I read the book -- my perspective has changed completely.  I have talked about the book to so many people and I lent it to my friend, Rebecca, to read.  I believe she emailed you a few weeks ago.

Thank you so much for such a wonderful book.  I told my mom that she needs to hurry and order the book to put in the bookstore!  I would love to know if there is anything else that you have written.

In Him,
Beth

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Dear Carmen,

After recently attending the Pro-life dinner in Regina, my family bought your book, Arms of Love.  I began as soon as I got home.  A couple days later, I'd finished, and I must say, I've yet to read a book like it.

It was wonderful to read a book like this.  The heroine, Joanie, was a devout Catholic, the concept of "courting" was wonderfully portrayed, and the chastity of Brandon and Joanie was evident throughout their relationship.  Before hearing your talk and reading your book, the idea of "courting" was completely unknown to me and the friend who came with me... Dating, in this new light, seems very much to be an invention of our pleasure-oriented culture. However, it was an extremely good read, and may God continue to bless you in your work!

Garrett (17)
Emerald Park, Saskatchewan

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Dear Carmen,

I recently finished your book and thought that I would write and tell you what I thought of it.  I really loved it . . . and finished it in 2 days. . . I was almost obsessed with finding out what was going to happen next.  I'm happy it was only the first week of the new semester, because otherwise I think I would have found myself quite behind in homework.  I am going to be pursuing a career in Broadcasting, and am a singer, so I really loved and related to Joanie.  There were a few things I really really liked about the book:

- The way that she said little prayers to Jesus and Mary throughout the day. After reading a few chapters I found myself praying way more often during the day.  Just saying thanks for the sunshine, or asking for help not to get mad, etc.  I think that lots of Catholics pray when they wake up, and when they go to bed, but miss out all together during the day.  Reading this book made me realize that.  I passed the book on to a friend and she made the same comment to me.

- The way their relationship steered away from the physical things.  Lately I've realized that even a simple kiss can indeed take away from a relationship, even if it doesn't lead to more physically.  Instead of talking and really getting to know all the ins and outs of someone, it is so easy to just end up kissing them and letting the time slip by that way doing just that.  And often, as you pointed out little things do lead to more.  I think this is one area that really needs prayer, because when you are in love with someone not kissing them would be so hard.  Every little smile makes you want to kiss them.  My boyfriend is away for the year, and though we have remained virgins, the physical aspects of our relationship seemed to be taking away from things before he left.  I now have the opportunity to start afresh when he comes home, and I think I would like to save our kisses until we get married.  But, please pray for me . . . as I know this will not be easy.

- The way she is open with her parents is great.  I think it is really important to talk to your parents, and I've recently started to see that more than ever.  They actually have a lot more knowledge than us kids would sometimes like to think ;)

The only negative thing I could really say about the book is that it was a little too perfect.  While I know that everything is possible with Christ in our lives, the book was almost "utopic" . . . Brandon himself being converted was amazing, and while I found myself so glad as all the others found Jesus as well, I felt that this book was filled with absolutely the best case scenarios.  But I am a sucker for happy endings . . . and all in all I really loved the book!

Now that I have written you a novel myself, I would like to wish you and your family good luck, and pray that everything in this world work out as well as it did in your book!

God Bless,
Rose

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Wow!  This is an extremely well done book!  I don't think there is a book on the planet that is better than this.  It had all the elements of a great novel: it has a terrific story line, true-to-life characters, and a tremendous lesson to be learned by all.  Courtship is truly the best way path to take before marriage. 

It was so hard for me to believe that the book was finished when I completed it.  I wished that it was not done yet and some how I hoped that the story would continue.  There is much more to happen in the wonderful lives of Joanie and Brandon.

Courtship is such a broad and interesting topic.  When I was finished reading the book I had a great amount of questions answered that I had on the matter.  I was so interested in the issue of courtship that I chose "Courtship vs. Dating" to be my topic in an essay that I was to write for a Christian Ethics class at school.  I felt like an expert on the matter after reading the book, Arms of Love, that I knew that it would be easy for me to write an essay on the subject.

One element that made it such an interesting novel to read was that I know Carmen quite well.  She is such a bringer of life to the church I attend.  I don't think the church would be quite so interesting without Carmen Marcoux attending.  It was so neat to be able to picture Carmen saying something that was in her book.  I was always thinking to myself, "Oh that is exactly what Carmen would say in a situation like this."

This was sincerely the best book I have read in my entire life.  I don't think I will ever read a better book.  It was so gripping that it felt like a movie to me. 

This was the only book that I actually took time to read this school year. I would literally make time for myself to read this book on weekdays.  I have never done that throughout the school days unless it was necessary for school.  I even stayed up very late on school nights reading it, later than I usually would.  I would also read it before I left for school.  I would read it during school when we had reading time in English.  As soon as I got home from school I would read right 'til supper time.  Then after supper and dishes I would read as long as I could without interruptions.  This sadly lasted only a week and a half since books do have to end sometime, though I wish it did not have to end.  The night I finished it I didn't fall asleep because I was pondering over all the things that happened throughout the entire book.

I have done my very best to recommend this book to other friends of mine.  It is truly a must-read for a person that is or is not practicing and seeking a pure, holy, Christian (Catholic) relationship.  I hope that someday my life might be as nice as Brandon and Joanie's.  The characters felt very real to me.  I wish that I could have been a part of there lives somehow.  I do look forward to a sequel to this awesome novel.

Carmen is such a talented person. She is an excellent writer for one thing, but she is also an excellent speaker on courtship too.  Most of all, she is a tremendous choir director and I am truly glad to take part in that ministry with her.

I do hope there to be a sequel to this awesome book someday.  I will hope and pray that it will be possible.  I do understand how much work it is to write a novel; I have so much trouble even writing a ten page story!  In good time good things will happen.

I really hope that as many people possible will have a chance to read this book.  If so many, many lives would be changed.  I know that it certainly changed my life, and oh did I mention that it is the GREATEST BOOK EVER!  There is so much corruption in the world that needs to change and this is certainly one thing that will help in a big way.  This book really changed my perspective on things and I hope it would change other people's perspective also. Thanks for writing this truly amazing story.

Daniel (14 years old)
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

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Dear Carmen,

I bought two of your novels, one for myself and one for a friend
who was courting.  My friend is now married and I never got around to
sending her the book because I knew she was so busy taking classes and
working she wouldn't have had time to read. 

This is too funny.  I just looked into the living room and there is my 12 year old dear daughter, who has been begging me to read your book, reading it with permission and already at page 72 (she started late this morning) and my dear son reading it again and is half way through.  I am sure glad I have two copies of your novel.  Now I hope my youngest son is so fortunate to
have the desire to read it . . . or maybe he'll be a priest.

Delighted Mom

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Dear Carmen,

Hi!  I'm so excited to write this email to you!  My name is Jennifer. . . . I was more than excited to write and explain how much God has inspired, gifted and challenged me with your book, Arms of Love. 

I encountered your book, I think about a year ago.  A friend gave me his copy to read.  I had no clue what the book was about, and I had told him that I would read it, but because of upcoming exams I would have to hold up on reading it until about the beginning of February, when my exams would be done.  When I began to read it, I found myself doing nothing else but reading your book!  I couldn't put it down!  I still can't believe that I had this book in my house for 2 months and I hadn't read it!  I've already read it probably around 4 times, and I continually go back to it for a reference. 

I am so glad that God put it on your heart to write such and amazing book!  I was amazed at how much Joanie reminded me of myself... I loved her persistence to always seek God and to remain in his love even when temptation began to approach her.  I loved the way that she abided by her own morals and the ones set out by her father, and most definitely that she didn't compromise anything, especially her first kiss!  I find that so inspirational.  The way that Brandon respected her for just being just her and he didn't want to compromise anything with her as well.  He saw her as a blameless lamb and that she was a true treasure.  In this day and age... I wish that more men would be like that! 

I pray that God would bless me as he did both Joanie and Brandon in their relationship in your book.  I was blessed to have even read it and I got so much information while reading, especially clearing a lot of "fuzziness" about courting.  I also loved the approach of the couple being married in Catholic Church!  You don't see a lot of books where couples are abiding by the teachings of the Catholic Church!  And I absolutely loved it!

I can't tell you enough about how much I loved your book!  I recommend it to ALL of my friends, because even though it is a fictional book... it has so much truth to it, and that gives me hope to wait for something better than what only this world has to offer me.  God is in control and I know that he can bless us tremendously through our patience to wait and to keep our eyes completely focused on him.  Thank you so much for your "yes" to God (just as Mary's "yes") to write this book! 

May God Bless you and your family,
Jennifer (19 years old)

PS: Another thing I absolutely loved was that I knew some of the places that you mentioned in your book, I grew up only a hour away from Saskatoon and I loved to be able to relate to the book in that way as well!

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Hi Carmen!

Thanks for your note!  I finished your book yesterday and am still reveling in the aftermath of reading a good story. :)  I congratulate you on a job well done!  I'm sure you hear this from other people, but it felt like my story.  When you described "Joanie", it was almost as if you were describing me.  We were so similar; probably due to the fact that homeschooling and large families are such a big factor. :)  Also, I had a "Brandon" in my life not too long ago.  He was a Catholic version, but again, very similar personality.  Unfortunately, it wasn't God's will that we write a love story together.  But it was beautiful to read how Joanie and Brandon's friendship transformed into such an incredible godly relationship.  It's given me new hope for myself and future husband! :)  It was fabulous; I immediately loaned it to my mom to read.  She was excited about the the storyline and was sure she would be able to finish it tonight.

Blessings to you and your family!  Stay strong for Jesus and Mary!

Heather

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First of all, this is my second time ordering from you!  I received the book and CD on Wednesday in Holy Week, and I can't even begin to explain the impact it had on me!!  I had started a novena to St. Therese, asking her to protect and guide my future husband, whoever he is, during this Easter season.  I took the arrival of the book and CD, which I did not expect until after Easter and which came during the novena, very timely, to be the answer to my prayer. In fact, it arrived when I was praying about it.

I could not put the book down, and I resolved not to listen to the song until I had finished the book.  I listened to the song on Easter Sunday, and it was such a beautiful climax to my novena, I couldn't believe it!  This novel (and the song) is just so incredibly awesome and inspiring, it helped me to get past some issues I had been struggling with.  I wanted to thank you again for this beautiful ministry you are in! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Jessica

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Hi Carmen,

My name is Dolores and I have  read your book,  Arms of Love.

Well done.  Yes, I hope God does provide you with the needed inspiration and time to write more novels.

God Bless you and your family,

Dolores

p.s. See you in Aug. in Pictou, Nova Scotia