Larry Peterson's Blog, page 46

Larry talks about ... setting his book in the 1960s

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, aka "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.

You asked what might be 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. The 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.

Larry talks about ... creating his characters

Here is a post revolving around the characters in The Priest and the Peaches. Let me begin by saying that I am intimately connected to all of them. I feel what they feel, I see what they see and I mask what they mask. None of them are insignificant even if they only make a brief appearance and speak one sentence or even say nothing, like the pall-bearers at the funeral. It may be that I lean to heavily on the "omniscience" thing but I can't help it.

Let me begin with the character, Joanie. She is a high school senior. I am a man old enough to be her grandfather. So, for me, becoming Joanie is not an easy transition. But once I begin to dialogue her I begin to understand her. Suddenly I become Joanie and understand her thought processes, her anxieties, what she feels, what her fears are, her hopes etc. Then I turn off the switch, turn it back on and become six-year old Joey. I am now living in Joey's world which consists primarily of his home and immediate family. He does not know much more than that and at that moment, neither do I. Until I turn the switch off and turn it back on, Joey and I are one.

I believe that this interaction between me and all of the characters is an ongoing process as I write. I am not looking in at them but rather, I am in the pages with them. From Father Sullivan to the drunken lawyer, even the antagonist, Beatrice Amon, and Dr. Rothstein, the cops, Dancer, Scratch, and so on. Wow, talk about multiple personalities inside of one person's head. Thank God I can turn off the switch.

Larry talks about ... writing 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.

Larry talks about ... the importance of familial love

"The Priest and the Peaches" is a sad yet funny story about five kids, living in the Bronx, who, having already lost their mom to leukemia, unexpectedly lose their dad during the Christmas season of 1965. Suddenly confronted with having to plan a funeral, realizing that they have no money and discovering that the rent and utilities are all past due thrusts them into a world they are unprepared to confront---"grown-up world".

Teddy Peach is 18 and the oldest. He is determined to keep all of them together as a family. His sister is 17 and his brothers are 14, 10 and six years old. Outside forces are already at work determined to get the three younger boys into a "properly supervised environment."

Enter Father Tim Sullivan, the local parish priest. A tough, street-wise man from the "Hell's Kitchen" section of Manhattan, Father Tim also has a kind and gentle way about him and possesses a simple faith that allows him to see God's love working even amidst chaos. He uses his faith to help guide the Peach kids on their quest to remain together as a family.

This book shows the value and importance of familial love and how powerful it can be, especially when faced with crisis. It also teaches lessons in taking responsibility, being unselfish, caring about others and "loving your neighbor." Finally, it portrays the manner in which so many priests have stayed true to their faith and vocations by being there for so many in times of need.

Larry talks about ... Teddy & Joanie Peach

It was suggested that the topic for this post be one of my choosing. Immediately the old wheels began spinning and grinding: I could write about me–no way; I could write about my life's journey–big deal; About the book? well sure; Maybe about my muse—Well, I am still trying to figure him out; wait a minute, I know, something about writing or maybe character development or maybe even writing habits and—So, after smacking myself upside my head I have decided to discuss two of the main characters in the book, Teddy Peach and his younger sister, Joanie.

Teddy is the protagonist. He is 18 years old and had graduated from high-school the previous June. He left his graduation with a college scholarship in his pocket and immediately went to work in the construction business as an apprentice carpenter. His family needed the money, he was the oldest of the five kids, and it was the "right thing to do". He willingly took the detour to his unexpected future. However, down deep inside of himself, he had begun to harbor a bit of resentment that his life's choices were not being decided by him. But, being responsible and taking care of family took precedence over one's own needs.

When Elizabeth Peach died a few years earlier, Joanie, 13 at the time, had been thrust into the role of "pseudo-mommy". Similar to her big brother, she had a deep sense of responsibility to her family. On Saturday mornings, when Joanie's friends were sleeping in or doing sleep-overs, Joanie was pulling the grocery cart home from the A&P just like all the other moms in the neighborhood. She did not fit in but she too, like her brother, knew it was the "right thing to do" and willingly did her best to take care of her four brothers. The fact was the Peaches had been instilled with a deep sense of family love and, for Teddy and Joanie, that sense of family and looking out for each other took precedence over everything else, especially when the chips were down.

Larry talks about ... describing his work

Describing my work requires me to more or less describe myself. Basically, I am a "blue-collar guy". It is the world I come from, a world of hard working, hard drinking, construction workers, longshoremen, cops, fireman, railroad workers, bus drivers, truck drivers, sanitation workers, etc., who for the most part were family men who loved their God, their families and their country---unconditionally. Consequently, if you ask me to describe my work (as a writer) I would call it "blue-collar." What does that mean? Well, I believe my work is simple fair, minimally superlative, no-nonsense, easily readable, flows quickly and is, (I work hard at this), well crafted. There is lots of dialogue and I tend to be omniscient. Maybe too much. If you read "The Priest and The Peaches" you will see how often different characters are "thinking" about something. I think that is because all of the characters and I are part of each other. No one is incidental or simply an after thought stuck in a scene to expedite it.

You know, I always wanted to be a writer but it took me a very long time to actually get here. I make no excuses for that because I was where I was when I was needed and always tried my best to do the right thing when I had to do it, even if it took years. As we enter 2012 I am enjoying what I call, "my permanent senior moment." I am, at last, a writer. Ain't that something.

Larry talks about ... outlining a story

Before I get to the topic at hand, I would like to mention, The Priest and The Peaches. It is in e-book format and the publisher is Tribute Books. This is a work of fiction and I would like to let you all know that, in my own way, I have tried to compliment, praise and elevate the priesthood with this work. In fact, part of the dedication is to the priesthood. The truth is, I'm sick and tired of all the anti-catholic, anti-priest stuff that has been smothering everyone, and maybe, in my own small way, I might be able to counteract that. Anyway, if you might want to take a peek at the book you can go to http://www.thepriestandthepeaches.com. Okay–to the point at hand.

I have been fulfilling numerous requests for "guest posts" on blog-sites. You know how that goes. They ask you to write 300 to 500 words about such things as writing habits, inspiration, character development, character interviews, etc. etc.. One question I was asked was, "Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?" So, let me "fess up" about me and outlining.

I think they call someone like me a "pantser". That is because I do go along for the ride and "fly by the seat of my pants". I outline the book after I'm done. I mean, I do have a potential ending in sight when I start, but, like some of those remodeling jobs I have done in the past, I never know what to expect. I might tear out a wall and, lo and behold, there are plumbing pipes staring at me. Where did they come from? You don't want them there but you cannot get rid of them so–you adapt and change things. Consequently, as I write things become clearer and clearer, and anticipating problems and glitches happens more quickly.

Ultimately, I outline when I'm finished. I understand that, according to all the "poohbahs" out there, I am doing it all wrong. Well, my goal is to get to the finish line. For me, getting there is all that counts. If I fall down ten times, bust myself up and wind up bloodied in the process, I don't care. Look, I am probably the type of writer you do not want to emulate. But, when all is said and done, we must march to the beat of our own drum and I have always had a hard time keeping in step with the beat.

CatholicFiction.net - Review

CatholicFiction.net
April 2012

Catholic Fiction Book Review - The Priest and the Peaches
by Jody Rakis

The novel, THE PRIEST AND THE PEACHES, is the story of five children left to manage on their own. It is a story about love and blind faith. A faith that was taught to them by their parents and by their priest. It is a faith that a lot of us have lost. The children carry on as best they can, with the expectation that all things will be alright. I laughed, I cried and then I laughed and cried at the same time. I have not enjoyed reading a story like this one in a long time.

It is a story that will make you believe in miracles. But not big, flashy miracles, miracles that just happen because you believe and expect them to happen. The priest in this story is excited about his faith. He believes in the power of prayer and help from the saints when you ask. He is joyful when all else fails.

One aspect of the story that touches you is the fact that we judge people by our impressions of them. What we have seen and what we think we know. But there is goodness in all people. And the children only know part of the story of their father, who has left them now because of his drinking and they have no one to turn to but themselves. It is a story of believing in each other. The children respect each other and trust each other. There are disappointments along the way, and they learn many lessons in life during their adjustments, but they also see what they expected; warm, loving people who are there for them, when needed.

I really enjoyed this book, and encourage all to read it.

Larry talks about ... his publishing journey

Well, my first novel, "The Priest and The Peaches", is out there for all the world to see and, hopefully, also read. So, let me discuss a topic I rarely broach---my emotions. You have to understand that I am not a kid anymore. I am officially (according to the government) a senior citizen who has been begrudgingly accepting "senior discounts" at restaurants and department stores for some time. Alas, I have thrown in the towel and now look for these discounts and even ask for them. I am what I am---a mid 60's grandpa with eight grandchildren sporting a bald spot. My problem is that inside me is still a mischievous boy trying to free himself from his captor, ME. And yes, sometimes he actually escapes. (Now that Christmas is over I have finally been able to make him take off those weird elf ears he's been wearing for the last week).

Having said all of that I now admit that I experienced an enhanced range of rolling emotions when "The Priest and The Peaches" launched. "Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes", my first published book and a children's book, was introduced in January of 2011. That provided an emotional ride but this time, well, this is a novel and I am being tossed about by unpredictable waves of feelings. There is a personal pride in the work accompanied by a sense of accomplishment. There are feelings of excitement knowing you can say you are an author. There is definitely a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for those who encouraged and supported me (especially my wife, Marty, and Nicole Langan at Tribute Books). Finally, and this is the under-tow or mini tsunami coming the other way, there is a nagging feeling of insecurity that keeps whispering in my ear, "You wrote a book?---you gotta be kidding". Once I get that "whisperer" to shut up I'll be "good to go".

Reviews by Molly - Review

Reviews by Molly takes a look at The Priest and the Peaches, "This is a book that grips you from beginning to end. It's filled with real-life events, and children that you just want to wrap your arms around, pray for them, and hug them til they smile forever. "

To read the full review, click here.