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The Devil Virus
Group Reads: Guest Author Invite
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June 2019 Group Read #2 with Guest Author, Chris DiLeo
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Kenneth
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May 27, 2019 12:40PM
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Hi Chris! Always wonderful to meet a new author.
I just read the sample. It drew me in!
Hello! Thank you for this opportunity. I hope you enjoy being infected—er, reading my book, THE DEVIL VIRUS. I'm here for any comments and questions. Happy reading!
Hi Chris, I’m halfway through and absolutely loving The Devil Virus! I’m really interested to know how much your Episcopalian background and experiences impacted this story?
Claire wrote: "Hi Chris, I’m halfway through and absolutely loving The Devil Virus! I’m really interested to know how much your Episcopalian background and experiences impacted this story?"Thank you. I'm delighted you're enjoying it. My experience growing up in the Episcopalian church was vital to this book's creation. Both my parents were heavily involved with the church—my mother was a lay reader, my father a warden—and we attended services at least weekly and, of course, I attended years of Sunday School, which culminated in my confirmation when I was a teenager.
Most of my friends at school were Catholic, and what really stood out to me was the difference in the messages our respective priests were spreading and the overall tone of our religions.
Catholics, from what I gathered, tended to have solemn services in which the priest (always a male) spoke of God and the Devil, and advocated specifically for a certain kind of living—there was no shades of grey, only black and white, sin and salvation.
In the Episcopal Church (at least the one I attended for almost two decades), the services could be boring at times but the atmosphere was casual, the mood lighthearted and jovial. The priest (I recall two males and three females during my time) never EVER said the words "Hell" or "Devil"; the sermons were always about forgiveness and love and peace.
In the Catholic Church, parishioners have to confess sins personally; in the Episcopal Church, the congregation recites the "Confession of Sin" and we are forgiven all together.
Most importantly, the church I attended—and the parents I was lucky enough to have—encouraged thought, introspection, and questioning. We were never expected to simply accept the veracity of Biblical stories or the logic of God's actions: we were encouraged to find our own path to faith.
That, more than anything, helped shape my conception of Lucas Masters in THE DEVIL VIRUS. He is an intellectual, a good-hearted man, a believer, but also a skeptic, a pastor who has obvious qualms with much of the Bible (as I do; we're both troubled by the tales of Abraham and Isaac and the plight of Job).
I hope that sheds some light on how my Episcopalian upbringing influenced my book. I wrote about it in more detail, if you're interested, here: https://inkheist.com/2019/03/19/a-cof...
Thank you for reading. I look forward to your comments after you finish.
All the best,
Chris DiLeo
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Latasha wrote: "Wow, that’s very interesting. Thanks for that insight Chris. I love learning about other people’s believes."Chris wrote: "Claire wrote: "Hi Chris, I’m halfway through and absolutely loving The Devil Virus! I’m really interested to know how much your Episcopalian background and experiences impacted this story?"
Thank ..."
My pleasure. Enjoy!
I haven't had a chance to read it just yet but plan on checking it out - it looks very good and the reviews are great so far. I love religious themed.
Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "I haven't had a chance to read it just yet but plan on checking it out - it looks very good and the reviews are great so far. I love religious themed."Thank you! I hope the book works for you, and I look forward to any comments you might have.
