Author Davis Aujourd'hui makes a return visit our Podcast

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For the second week in a row, the Writers in the Sky Podcast will welcome back a previous guest as Davis Aujourd’hui sits down with Sarah Moore.

Davis first joined the podcast to discuss the release of his book, The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude. He is back to talk about the next book in a series featuring Sister Mary, Babes in Bucksnort. In this latest “misadventure,” the town of Bucksnort is all worked up over some visitors who come to town to dole out their own sense of social justice and Sister Mary Olga Fortitude is right in the middle sharing her wisdom about tolerance and inclusion.

Mr. Aujourd’hui will be discussing how this new book extends on the themes of his first release and what we can expect next in the series. He also will share some of the new characters he introduces in this second installment, who have unforgettable names and outrageous behaviors just like the men and women we met in the first Sister Mary Olga book.

Click here to listen... to the entire interview!

Title of Document: Book Review

Book Title: Babes in Bucksnort

Author: Davis Aujourd’hui

ISBN: 978-1-4327-4500-4

Publisher: OutskirtsPress.com

Genre and Target Market: fiction; humor; social commentary

Publication Date: 2010

Book Length in Pages: 202
Like the book that preceded it, The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude, Babes in Bucksnort follows the antics of the diverse residents who live in Bucksnort, Wisconsin as told by the hard-drinking, chain-smoking nun whose name graces the entire series. However, while the first book was intended to introduce the readers to the large cast of characters and establish Sister Mary’s belief in tolerance and unconditional love, Babes in Bucksnort now takes a more focused approach to the storyline and confronts the growing prejudice against homosexuality in the town.

Becoming increasingly concerned about the infiltration of gays and lesbians in Bucksnort, Priscilla Bunhead forms a group of like-minded citizens who are determined to chase the people who they believe to be perverts out of town. Their efforts are reinforced when Reverend Billy-Bob Blunthead brings his Born Again or Burn Forever Disciples for Jesus to Bucksnort for a large rally that is meant to galvanize the supposedly moral people to save their community. As readers will discover, Billy-Bob, Priscilla, and other dispensers of harsh judgment will face a stronger and more unified opposition than they ever expected.

In this book, Aujourd’hui continues to do an excellent job of sharing social commentary through his memorable characters. Reverend Billy-Bob immediately conjures up images of television preachers who use their claim of Christianity to make a fortune from condemning others. Lilliliver Lipstick, another new character to the series and sidekick to Priscilla Bunhead, reminds me of the weak child who stands behind the playground bully and quietly watches while her fellow students are belittled and beaten. And, of course, Sister Mary Olga is still the necessary voice of kindness and reason in the middle of a wild atmosphere. I imagine in more than one instance, readers will recognize a character in Babes in Bucksnort as an exaggerated representation of someone they know in their own lives.

As I read both published installments in the Sister Mary Olga Fortitude series, I realized that I was enjoying the content for two distinct reasons. First, Aujourd’hui creates men, women, and children with unforgettable (and descriptive!) names and even more outrageous behavior. I appreciated the sharp humor that the author employed to this end and found great entertainment value in turning each page and discovering what these characters would do next. But, I also enjoyed the important messages of love and acceptance that Aujourd’hui emphasizes, particularly through the teachings of Sister Mary herself. Once in a while, we all need mirrors placed in front of us to help us examine and rethink how we treat one another, and Davis Aujourd’hui accomplishes this through his writing. Babes in Bucksnort is a book that will make you both think and laugh, which defines a great read for me. Now, I just need to wait for book number three so that I can discover who Sister Mary will bring to task next!!!!