Meet Claire

Co-founder and Director of Content

Mom, Wife, Interior Life — that’s it in a nutshell.

Claire Dwyer has been devouring books and pouring the words back out again longer than she can remember. It’s where her love of God and the Catholic faith finds its fullest expression—and it is her deep joy to share that now with other believers who hear the same call pressed on their own hearts: “write these words.”

Claire has a certification in Spiritual Theology from the Avila Institute and is currently in the graduate program at St. Vincent Seminary’s Institute of Ministry Formation for Spiritual Direction. She has an undergraduate degree in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she serves on the Advisory Board of the Leadership Institute.

Her roles as writer, editor, spiritual director, and lifelong student of the interior life all came together in her first book, This Present Paradise: A Spiritual Journey with St. Elizabeth of the Trinity which was extraordinary well-received and quickly became a best-seller, due in part to having the honor of being chosen by the Abiding Together Podcast for its 2021 Lenten Book Study. She is also a contributor to Blessed is She’s Lenten devotional, New Wine, which released in January 2023.

She is under contract for another book and between that, working full-time for the Avila Foundation as editor of SpiritualDirection.com, coaching, teaching, and raising a handful of growing kids, she still manages to find time for a few slowly-savored pages of reading almost every (tired) night.

You can find out more about her and her work on EventheSparrow.com.

Meet Mike

Co-founder, Book Publishing Mentor, and Director of Ops
 

Everyone has a story to tell. Mike loves to walk with writers through a simplified publishing process and help guide them in their journey of becoming a successfully published author.

Mike's approach includes listening to your book idea and then coming up with a path to publishing plan together. If desired, he can also offer you a combination of design, publishing, and mentorship+coaching services. 

With over twenty-five years experience in both traditional and independent publishing, Mike has certification as a professional Book Publishing Consultant and as a Kajabi website expert. He studied design at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and completed his undergraduate studies at Franciscan University. He is the owner/designer at Faith & Family Publications (link highlighted). 

Currently, Mike provide services for several prominent Catholic publishers including the Augustine Institute, Sophia Institute Press, Walking with Purpose, Ruah Woods, & Cardinal Studios. He also works with Entrepreneur Media, along with many other mission-driven organizations. As a top-rated designer with Reedsy,  Mike loves working directly with first-time and seasoned authors, across multiple book genres.

Mike may also be found on the sports fields or courts where he loves coaching youth baseball, softball, volleyball and basketball in his local community. Mike, and his wife Amy, live outside of Philadelphia where they homeschool their six children. 

Meet Fr. Jeremiah

Spiritual Advisor

Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shyrock, CFR entered the Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in 2002. He was ordained a priest in 2011, and later competed studies in Spiritual Direction at Our Lady of Divine Providence in Clearwater, FL.

Throughout his time as a Franciscan he has participated in his community's charism of hands-on work with the poor, preaching, leading retreats, and spiritual direction.

Since July 2021 he has lived as a hermit at the Monastery of Bethlehem in Livingston Manor, NY, where he serves as a chaplain to the nuns.

Fr. Jeremiah is the author of Mary and the Interior Life and Amid Passing Things. (Paraclete Press).