Larry Peterson's Blog, page 63

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Three of the upcoming young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter three of The Priest and the Peaches - an upcoming young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
Kindle ($2.99)
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER THREE
"Now we're orphans, right?"

Teddy saw everyone at once and immediately started to cry. He did not even realize that it was Sarah who had gotten up and was standing there hugging him. His tears were contagious and within seconds the somber room was filled with crying young people. Sarah hugged Teddy for about 15 seconds then moved back and held his face in her hands. She wiped away his tears with her thumbs and stared into his eyes. "Teddy, listen to me," she said. "They need you to be strong. Okay? They need you to be in charge. They're all scared, even Joanie. They think they're all going to end up alone. So, right now, try to be strong."

He took a breath and looked down at her. "Alone? That's ridiculous. Me and Joanie are here and you…"

"Look, you are all in this together and have to survive it together. They just need some reassurances from you that everything will be all right and that they are safe. Understand?"

The magnitude of the situation was starting to hit Teddy right between the eyes. At 18 years old, he was quickly feeling alone and overwhelmed. Looking at Joey and Beeker, he suddenly realized how young they were. Dancer was only in eighth grade. I'm only four years older than Dancer. Beeker and Joey…dang, this is messed up. Okay, be strong, whatever that means… Then he heard a small voice that had been calling his name, "Teddy…Teddy?"

He turned to his right and saw Joey. Teddy rubbed the palms of his hands across his eyes wiping them dry. "Yeah, Joey? What is it?"

Joey, still sitting on Joanie's lap, had his head pressed back into her chest. His wide-open eyes overwhelmed his little face. He seemed to be slightly rocking back and forth with the top of his head staying right under her chin. Sniffles punctuated every third or fourth tear. He was frightened, all right. No doubt about it. He did not understand. He wanted all this talk about Pops being dead to stop. It wasn't funny. He wanted him to come home. It had to be a mistake. Why, Pops had even promised that, no matter what, he was going to let him watch the ball drop at Times Square at midnight. Well, tomorrow was New Year's Eve. Pops had promised. He was positive he would be coming home any minute. They were all stupid. "Are you bringing Pops home later?"

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

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.

Is there REALLY a Santa Claus----well, I say "ABSOLUTELY"

I just though that I would make a suggestion to those highly sophisticated,  elitist, and pontificating editorialists around the country who have been apparently blessed with much more insight and wisdom than a shmoe like me will ever have. If some seven or eight year old kid writes you a letter asking about whether or not Santa Claus is TRUE please take a moment before answering to review the answer one of your colleagues, Francis Pharcellus Church, (albeit from a different time like 114 years ago), penned in answer to this very question. This editorial has become a timeless classic and is the most reprinted editorial in newspaper history. I love it and believe it. Hey, what did you expect. I did not go to Harvard.

Here it is------





Is There A Santa Claus?From the editorial page of The New York SunSeptember 21, 1897_______________________________________________Dear Editor---I am eight years old. Some of my friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in THE SUN, it's so. Please tell me the truth. Is there a Santa Claus?Virginia O'Hanlon115 W. 95th St._______________________________________________Dear Virginia, your friends are wrong. They have been affected by the scepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes Virginia, there isa Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginia. There would be no child-like faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.We should have no enjoyment except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your Papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and  picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah Virginia, in all this world, there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives! And he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten time ten thousand years from now , he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Two of the upcoming young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter two of The Priest and the Peaches - an upcoming young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
Kindle ($2.99)
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER TWO
"Before"

"What's wrong with me? What's WRONG with me? I'll tell you what's wrong with me—that mean old lady in the other room. That's what's wrong with me. And nobody cares, nobody, not Pops, not you, not anyone. She's so mean to me. I hate her. I swear—I hate her. And now I'm going to hell because I hate my own grandmother."

Teddy fumbled around inside himself trying to find something to say. His 15-year-old wisdom was still in the early developmental stages so all he could come up with was, "Hate her? Going to hell? That's ridiculous. I don't think…"

She cut him off and began to ramble, "Ridiculous! I'll tell you what's ridiculous. The fact that you and Pops don't have any idea what's going on around here. That's ridiculous. She's gone crazy. Half of the time she thinks I'm Mom and calls me Elizabeth. Then she's nice. Then, all of a sudden, I'm Joanie and I'm scrubbing the woodwork again and, then I'm not doing it right and have to do it over. Sure Teddy, you are absolutely right. You don't think. The ceiling could fall down and you wouldn't think. Pops is never home. She hates him and is always saying mean things to him. So he stays away. LUCKY him. She tells the boys how rotten he is and tells them that he killed their mother…"

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

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.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter One of "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter one of The Priest and the Peaches by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
Kindle ($2.99)
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER ONE
"If only I had—"

Pops said nothing. Besides pain and fear, there was a resolute sadness etched into his face. It frightened Teddy, although he did not understand it. Their eyes locked, blue on blue, father and son, sharing what would turn out to be their final moment together. Teddy thought he noticed a solitary tear drip from Pops' eye and slowly roll down onto the pillow. Still, he remained by the door. He broke the silence saying, "Okay Pops, I gotta get home. See you tomorrow." As he turned and headed to the elevator, Pops raised his hand and held up his thumb and pinky finger, but Teddy did not notice.

Walking away from the hospital, Teddy briefly stopped, turned and looked up at the third floor. He located the window of Pops' room and stared at it. Whispering, "I love you, Pops," he began to cry. He knew he should go back, but he didn't. That decision would transpose into a lifelong, heartbreaking memory transfixed around the words—if only I had… Sometimes, you just don't get a second chance.

Ever Wonder about a "Partridge in a Pear Tree, and so on"?

A bit of Christmas History





Did you ever wonder (like me)---What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?   Well now, here you go From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember. -The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. -Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments. -Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.- -The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. -The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament. -The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation. -Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy. -The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes. -Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control. -The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments. -The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples. -The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed. So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.' Merry Christmas 

Pretty Opinionated review

Pretty Opinionated
November 30, 2011

Book Review: Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes
by Nicole

Title: Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes
Author: Larry Peterson
Publisher: TB Press

Image is often everything to a kid. Jacob was concerned about what others thought of him when he was only about 4 years old, and it just gets harder as he gets older. I try to tell him that it doesn't matter what others think of him, that he should just be himself, but I don't really remember that whole logic working on me when I was his age. Willie, the main character in Larry Peterson's Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes has a big problem. Well, two, actually. First, his feet are so slippery that he can't keep any shoes on them. Poor Willie couldn't climb trees or play with his friends without sliding all over the place. Fortunately, there is a solution. Unfortunately, that solution is the other problem. Since Willie's feet are so slippery, he needs a very special pair of shoes, and they're not exactly normal-looking sneakers.

Willie absolutely does not want to wear the shoes. He thinks everyone will make fun of him. In fact, he gets so worked up about it that he dreams everyone in town is laughing at him. They laugh so hard that catastrophe strikes- cars crash, planes fall out of the sky, and mayhem ensues. All because of his stupid, ugly shoes. Of course, in reality, his shoes are not nearly as bad as he thinks they are, and all of this friends end up thinking they're super cool. Willie has a great day at school, and at the end of the day he takes off his shoes and lets himself slip around, because even though the shoes help him have a "normal" day, he still needs to be himself sometimes, slippery feet and all.

Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes is a funny and entertaining book for kids of all ages. The lessons are obvious, but presented in a way to which children can relate. The story teaches children that everyone is different, but those differences do not define who they are. It also teaches them that sometimes we make a bigger deal about things in our heads than they are in real life. I do this all the time. I always think of the worst case scenario and get all worked up about something, when in reality, it turns out to not be a big deal. It's kind of too late for me (although I am working on my issues), but since Jake is just like me, I'm really trying to head off the problem before it gets out of control with him. Since he is a big reader, books like Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes really help.

"What is a Friend"

I received this from a FRIEND and it was so beautiful I just had to post it here.(Author unknown)

 ENJOY





Subject: What is a Friend.....

..... Friends.......They love you,

But they're not your lover

They care for you,

But they're not from your family

They're ready to share your pain,

But they're not your blood relation.

They are........FRIENDS! !!!!

A True friend...... .

Scolds like a DAD..

Cares like a MOM..

Teases like a SISTER..

Irritates like a BROTHER..

And finally loves you for YOU..



The nicest place 2 be is in someone's THOUGHTS!

The safest place 2 be is in someone's PRAYERS!

And the best place 2 be is in...........

GODS HANDS!

Advance notice for "The Priest & The Peaches" coming this January

Available December 18     Official Launch date   January 1, 2012

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. Having no money, discovering the rent and utilities are past due and having the ever intrusive Beatrice Amon determined to get the youngest boys into a "properly supervised environment" leaves them living in a world they were not ready for. 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. 

Advance look at the cover for "The Priest & The Peaches" coming this January

Mom-E-Centric review

Mom-E-Centric
November 30, 2011

Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes by Larry Peterson
by Jerri Ann Reason

We can all associate with being the odd man out at least once in our life. For some of us, being the odd man out is more of a norm than an oddity. However, for children, being the person with the funny hair or ugly shoes, being singled out can be the most humiliating of all of childhood troubles. The best part about having these moments of insecurity is the fact that they often lead to moments of clarity.

Here, Willie does everything to avoid wearing his shoes which he deems stupid and ugly. Even though his teacher tried to keep the laughing at bay, Willie knew that it was no use. Unfortunately, Willie's shoes were even wreaking chaos on his walk home from school. Alas, it's all……no, I won't tell you how it ends…you have to read it for yourself for that good information.