Larry Peterson's Blog, page 43

Thoughts from Albert Einstein

From the most brilliant scientist, Albert Einstein,  who managed to see beyond his own gift of brilliance.



"Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in AWE when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a HOLY curiosity."

Larry answers more of your questions

Tell us about your current project.

I have started writing the sequel to “The Priest and The Peaches”. This will take place during summer vacation when the younger boys go to stay with friend’s of Father Sullivan’s who live in rural New Jersey. We venture into the paranormal with this story. No vampires or zombies or anything like that. It will be more about good vs evil. It is a work in progress and has a long way to go.



What will I as a reader like best about your hero?

Teddy, 18, even though frightened of his circumstances and all of the unknowns he must confront, plods forward doing his best for his family. It’s not always “pretty”. I think you have to admire him for that.



How will women identify with your heroine?

I’m not sure. Joanie was only 13 when her mom died. She was surrounded by an all male household and was thrust into the unintended position as ‘woman of the house’. I would imagine that women might feel sorry for her, secretly admire her and never want to be put in her position.



Is your muse currently sitting on your shoulder or is she illusive?

My muse is a scatter-brain. I wish I could slow him down sometimes and make him focus more. I think he has ADD.



Who is your favorite author?

I always go back to Hemingway because of his “The Old Man & The Sea”. A simple read but powerful in that you can feel the love and respect between the old man, Santiago, and the boy, Manolin and even the sadness in Santiago’s heart when he knew he must kill the great fish. Beautifully done.

Larry answers more of your questions

If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?

Definitely the past. The future will take care of itself.



If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?

Food, water and a book, preferably the Bible. There is a lot to read and you can read it over and over and still learn.



What is one book everyone should read?

Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea". It is short yet powerful showing the love between a poor, old fisherman and a boy and the deep respect they have for each other.



What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Butter Pecan



If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose?

Abraham Lincoln. The greatest president, full of wisdom, insightfulness and patience. Loved his country unconditionally yet through it all remained a simple man.



Night owl, or early bird?

Absolutely--early bird



Pet Peeves?

People just butting into to others who are having a conversation and couples in restaurants where one finds it necessary to talk on their phone. Leave the damn phone in your car. You can always call back later.



Skittles or M&Ms?

M&Ms



Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.

This book reinforces basic family values and also demonstrates the the quiet yet important work always being done by so many GOOD priests.



Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?

I am working on the sequel to "The Priest & The Peaches". My goal is to finish that. I can only do one thing at a time.



What inspired you to want to become a writer?

Interesting question---I don't know that I was "inspired" to write. I think I just like doing it.



Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

Being told by someone you do not know that they REALLY loved your book and knowing it comes from their heart. It doesn't get any better than that.



What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Just keep at it, accept rejection gracefully, do the best you can and do NOT quit.



What is your favorite Quote?

"Do your BEST and let God do the rest"



How did you know you should become an author?

I didn't know. Even though I loved to write I don't think I ever actually thought I would one day be an author.



Can you see yourself in any of your characters?

Actually, and this may sound weird, but I see parts of myself in all of my characters. I think that is my own omniscient way of dealing with them. They are never strangers to me



What's the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Judson Bailey, an old time reporter and editor for the AP who passed away many years ago told me "just be yourself". That's what I try to do. I never try to imitate anyone or anything.



How do you react to a bad review?

It's part of the busness. I try to learn from the negatives. You can never please everyone.



If you were a super hero what would your kryptonite be?

Tears, hunger and a lonely person



Give us a glimpse into a typical day in your day starting when you wake up till you lie down again.

OK--5:30 to 6a.m--get up. Turn on computer, check messages. Leave at 6:45 for 7a.m Mass. Return home at 7:45. Work on writing until about 1:p.m. Grab some lunch, get in a couple of mile walk, return home. Check mesaages again, do some of the social-netwroking stuff that need to be done and wrap that all up by 5. Dinner about 6, some TV or reading and in bed by 10. That's bascially it. I do watch football and baseball when on. Sort of boring but it works for me.

Larry answers your questions

1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

It's a toss-up between Father Sullivan and Beatrice Amon. Father Sullivan is street-wise and tough yet he has this childlike faith and sees God's prescence even amidst chaos. It is a beautiful thing. As far as Beatrice goes, well, she proves that often times people are not the ogres we might think they are. I'll leave it at that.



2. Coffee, tea, or milk?

COFFEE---it gets the old engine running; milk #2



3. What else can you do besides write?

A lot of folks have called me "Mr. Fix-it". I can do most any kind of home repair or remodeling work. I can fix cars too, if I have to. However, I have not done much of that over the last few years. Blew my back out about 15 years ago and nowadays it does not take much to set me back to square one where I can hardly move. So, I have to be careful. I can also play the harmonica and if I need to clear a room quickly all I have to do is start playing. I also have worked with the St. Vincent De Paul Society for about 20 years and have spent lots of time working with those in need. That is EXTREMELY rewarding.



4. Who are you reading right now?

I'm reading a YA book by Cynthia DeFelice titled, "Under the Same Sky". It's about a 14 year old boy who wants a dirt-bike. His dad, a farmer who employs migrant workers, decides that he should earn the money. He challenges his son and the boy goes to work with the field hands. It is about learning to face your prejudices and be with people who are different. Nice story. Teaches a fine lesson.



5. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?

The scene in "The Priest & The Peaches" where Beatrice Amon spontaneously interacts with Father Sullivan. The scene just began to happen and, I swear, it even got to me as I wrote it. I could not believe that I had tears in my eyes. Anyway, I'll leave it at that. Don't want to give the story away.



6. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

I think they call someone like me a "pantser" because I do go along for the ride. I do have a potential ending in sight when I start. But it is always like some of those remodeling jobs I have done. There are always changes made as you go along and you never know when you will need to make them. Then BOOM!--you open up a wall and there are plumbing pipes staring at you. They're important but they are in the way. What to do??? So you adapt. Anyway, my outline comes after I'm finished. So does a synopsis. According to all the "poobahs" out there I'm doing it all wrong. Well, my goal is to get to the finish line. For me, getting there is all that counts, even if I fall down ten times, bust myself up and wind up bloodied.



7.(Bonus question, lol).

Funny you should ask. I just watched "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" with my 4 year old grandson two days ago. It was GREAT----

Larry talks about...inspiration

Regarding "inspiration." First of all I really do not think that I was inspired to write or to be a writer. As a kid, I just liked to write "stuff". I believe the inspiration comes after the fact. For example, two six-year-olds might simultaneously begin taking piano lessons. One has no interest and just goes through the motions. The other is intrigued and plods forward. The first falls by the wayside. The second begins to play and understand the music and the instrument. Lo and behold, here comes the inspiration to create his own music, to tap those keys making his own sound in his own way. So, for me as a writer, the inspiration to write about different things and say things in my own way came about because I liked to write to begin with. I scribbled this and I scribbled that and kept on scribbling. For me, there were long pauses between the scribbles but I never lost the desire to scribble and kept at it.



The way I see it, inspiration is triggered by the people, places and things that we encounter and experience. A friend of mine might introduce me to a friend of theirs and my mind will begin a journey, intrigued by the way that person said, "Hello", or by the manner in which they looked at me or the clothes they were wearing or whether or not their shoulders were slouched or not. They will be unconsciously placed in my mental Rolodex for future reference as a possible character and I do not even know it at that moment in time. Some one else would never give that person a second thought.



In the final analysis we are all different, all unique and I guess we all have inspiration that fits who we are. Some of us join forces with our inspiration (some call it Muse), others may talk about it for awhile and others ignore it completely. We certainly are interesting creatures.



Lastly, you asked me to give you an idea about books I read to relax. What I do is, I go to my library and they have a rack of used books in the children's section. Many of them are YA novels. They are older books and are all for sale. They charge about 25 to 30 cents per book. I picked up four yesterday afternoon. Total cost, including tax, $1.29. That will be my reading for the next week or two. It's great.

Larry talks about...the origins of his story

When I began to write The Priest And The Peaches it was taking place in the present. The Peach characters were adults, had families and careers and flashbacks were taking place during dialogue that transported the reader back in time. After about 15k words I left it alone for a few days and when I returned and read it I promptly tossed it. It was too confusing the way it was being presented. I mention this because when I tossed it I also tossed several characters that may, down the road, reappear. Actually, at this point in time, I do not remember who they were. Bottom line, I am glad I did it. If I had not I may never have met some of the characters that followed them and are in the book. For example, the antagonist herself, Beatrice Amon may never have been. Other folks like, "Migraine" Magrane and "Fadeaway" Walker, and even Mr. Levinski, a.k.a "Humphrey Pennyworth" - I would never have gotten to know. I had a lot of fun interacting with these folks, even if they had minor roles in the story. Oh yes, "Little Red" Coffey. I certainly enjoyed working with him.



What are five things people do not know? What I have discovered in my brief writing career is the fact that most folks have no idea what the life of a writer entails or the work involved, especially when you write a book. They seem to think that you sit around with a pen in your hand or a keyboard on a big wooden desk that overlooks a pretty lake with swans slowly moving about while you pen or peck away creating fabulous prose. Yeah - right! They do not know about the hours upon hours of re-writes, of editing, of proof-reading and then doing it over again and again. They do not know - well, to be fair, I guess I don't know a lot about their stuff either. I do know this - I'm not about to trade places with anyone.

Teens & children (The Priest & The Peaches)

TEENS & KIDS---No Mom, No Pop, No MONEY ---OH MY !!!

How to remain together as a family no matter what





The
new young adult ebook release by Larry Peterson

Historical
fiction novel set in the Bronx in the mid-1960s

Take
a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin
their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They
find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best
to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up
world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of
family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. 

ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

A "Julia" alternative---meet "Joanie"

President Obama's campaign web-site has given us the Obama Woman, a gal named "Julia" who we follow in cartoon form from age three through age 67+ . Julia's life, from the formative years and onward, has been  guided, nurtured  and embraced by and through government programs such as: Head Start, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Obamacare, Pell Grants for education etc. There is never a mention of Julia having parents or siblings or any family at all (they had to be in the mix somewhere but I guess their impact on Julia's life was minimal). Finally,  as Julia's wonderful, carefree and orchestrated life winds down, she finds happiness in her senior years as a volunteer in a "community garden". May I present the JULIA alternative--JOANIE.



Joanie Peach is 17. She did have parents but they died. Her mother, when Joanie was 13, and her dad when she was 17. She has an older brother, Teddy, 18, and three younger brothers aged 14, 10 and 6. They are orphans. Yup--Joanie has had multiple roles in her young life: daughter, sister, replacement mom, high school student, cook, house-keeper, household budget manager, grocery shopper, meal planner, and, of course, nurse in charge of all the cuts, bumps and bruises that little boys seem to attract. I have to be fair--this did take place "way, way", back in the mid 1960's. That was a time when the all embraceable and benevolent government was just beginning to get into the "nanny busines". Consequently, folks (for the most part)counted on their family, friends and church to help them through difficult life challenges.



Joanie Peach and the parentless journey of her and her brothers begins in the YA novel, "The Priest and the Peaches", the first book in a fictionalized (like Obama's, Julia) series that will follow the life of these kids.  Joanie and Julia are quite different. Why not spend a few bucks (it is an ebook) to see HOW different and how the faith, strength and love of God and  family can be the foundation that binds and lifts folks together no matter what life may throw their way.

Larry talks about...his personal writing process

Here's a bit about the "writing process." Just remember that this is MY way and, since I am (like my books) a work in progress, this process may metamorphosize into something else as time goes by. Having laid out the disclaimer which comes from my insecurities, let me begin.



For me, the initial process begins with pen and paper. This might be the easiest. It is like my brain is a dump truck loaded with all of the necessary materials to build a house. The paper is the property where the house will be built. So I dump it all in a big pile on the paper as it pours out of my pen or pencil. Now all I have to do is figure out where everything goes. Onward to the keyboard to sort this mess. That's the hard part. I know where the foundation will go and I can see the finished product with its roof, doors, windows, shutters and even the landscaping. That is the "big picture". But I have not been inside that house nor have I painted the outside. I still have to install plumbing, heating, electrical, cabinets, sinks, decide on colors etc. Okay, I have seen the "big picture" and now I have to figure out how all of those NECESSARY parts will fit together. As I write there are many changes that continually take place. By the time I have finished I have re-constructed that house many times.



As far as the characters are concerned (those folks living inside the house) I want the reader to get to know them in a way that they want to know more about them. As I write, these folks develop and sometimes I am even surprised when I find out who they really are and what makes them "tick" or what they are capable of. It is like meeting real people. Sometimes you might meet someone and become life-long friends. Then there are those who initially impress you but you find out soon enough that you just do not "connect". That is the end of that. So, that is the way with me and my characters.



As far as The Priest and The Peaches is concerned the idea came to me at my brother's funeral several years ago. There were five of us and we did lose our folks at an early age. But I had never considered writing about it. Then, after Bobby's funeral, my sister, brothers and I, were reminiscing about our early years. One thing led to another and we were laughing like crazy. All of us had different memories of a shared time in our lives and it was a beautiful afternoon for all of us even though we had just buried our brother. That is when the idea for the book began to germinate. However, it is a work of fiction. I just seized that moment in time and ran with it.

Larry talks about...how writing a novel is akin to building a house or taking a trip

I have described writing a novel as akin to building a house. For me, the overall concept is in my mind. The blank paper is the land where the house will be built. Most of the building materials are on the truck waiting to be unloaded. The only problem for me is I do not have any blue-prints to follow so I have to figure out where everything goes without direction. Many writers outline carefully (blue-print) and some synopsize from beginning to end (build a scale model). I synopsize after the fact (more or less jotting down where I have been after a few chapters so I have reference to the thousands of words already written). I am more or less considered a "pantser" (flying by the seat of my pants) and it is a method frowned upon by most experts.



Another way to look at the process of novel writing is as if you are on a cross-country journey. The first couple of hundred miles are more or less a straight run on the interstate and you just breeze along with nary a bump in the road. Suddenly there is an unexpected detour ahead and you are sent in another direction. You make a wrong turn and discover that you have no idea where you are. Where is that darn highway? You stop and ask directions (thinking) and write them down (different ideas) and the person who gave you directions becomes a new character. You begin to drive and "thumpa-thumpa," you blow a tire. Uh oh--the spare is flat. You have had enough and decide to stop at a motel so you can relax and regroup. Ultimately, you fight through the adversity (write-edit-write-edit-write) and keep on going.



I hope you get my point with all of this. You will always hit the proverbial "bump in the road". Sometimes you will wind up in a ditch. You have to deal head-on with all obstacles. The goal is to finish the journey. The entire process will more than likely prove to be a lot more challenging than you ever thought. But you MUST keep on truckin' - sooner or later you will reach the end of the journey.



Sidebar: If some of the young folks out there would like to get an idea of how it might be to have to fend for themselves and take care of the "business of life" they might enjoy reading The Priest & The Peaches. Not all kids come home to an X-Box 360 or a Wii, and a mom who is there to feed them and tuck them in.