Book Review of "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" By Author Davis Aujourd'hui

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude", September 29, 2011
**** (4Stars) By Kathleen Kelly "Celticlady" (Rhinelander, WI USA)

My Thoughts:

Hilarious, laugh out loud, must read book!! If you love humor and satire then this is the book for you. I was put off a bit by the title and I am not real religious nor Catholic but I decided, what the heck, I will give this book a chance as I like to discover new authors. "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" is a book told in the viewpoint of 65 year old Sister Mary Olga Fortitude who resides at the Have a Heart Convent where she teaches various religious classes. At each class she tells a story about a different resident of Bucksnort Wisconsin. Also at this convent is Father Cowberries, a priest with a passion for 'the drink' and Mother Superior Carmen Burana, who was a prostitute in a former life.. Sister Mary Olga shares the Father's passion for drink, she also loves her cigarettes, but of course she tends to clash with the Mother. A lot of the story tells us the ingenious ways she finds to slake her thirst for these vices ie. the four hole outhouse and the crucifix. The descriptions of the townsfolk and their names, Diddles Dinkledorf and Fartley Dinkledorf alone are enough to have you laughing. Put all the zany characters and their foibles together makes for a hilarious story. I found myself laughing out loud at most of the book. You absolutely have to read this book if you enjoy in your face humor. You don't have to be religious or Catholic to enjoy this book!! I highly recommend it.

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" is available in Paperback Format for $13.95 and you can PURCHASE HERE

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" is also available in Kindle Format for $3.99 and you can PURCHASE HERE

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" Book #1 By Author Davis Aujourd

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"

Book #1 Of the Sister Mary Olga Series

Paperback $13.95 (Purchase Here)

Kindle Version $3.99 (Purchase Here)

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars So funny!!!, November 13, 2009

By Lerrgoo "Laura" (Conroe, TX USA) - The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude (Paperback)

This was really cute and a very quick read. The lead character is Sister Mary Olga Fortitude who is a whiskey lover and a Marlboro smoking nun. The author has her narrating the book in a radio broadcast format, Sister Mary speaks directly to you. I especially love the photo on the back cover, the nun reminds me of John Belushi! The book is filled with colorful characters that will have you cracking up out loud. I was fortunate enough to win a copy of this and the author autographed it as well.
 
 
5 out of 5 Stars
Very Entertaining

By H. A. Dexter (Liberty,NY)
This review is from: The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude (Paperback)
This book is well written and lots of fun. It's a quick and easy read that leaves you wanting more. You will easily relate to many if not all of the characters. Would love to see this book made into a play. I am eagerly awaiting Sister Mary Olga Fortitudes next misadventure.

NEW- “Putting the Pieces Together” by Author Davis Aujourd'hui Now in Kindle Format

"Putting the Pieces Together"   

Kindle Format   - Now Just .99 cents

“Putting the Pieces Together” is an anthology of a gay man's journey toward self-acceptance. It is a poignant and intimate book chronicling recovery from mental illness, sexual addiction, and alcohol.


The author's journey is a spiritual one. It begins with his challenge in accepting himself as a gay person. This challenge provided the seeds that would later result in addiction. He frankly talks about his attempt to escape his homosexuality by getting married to a woman. The marriage ultimately fails when he realizes that it's okay to be gay.


His journey is a story about moving from darkness to light. After years of experiencing devastating depressions, he became manic after putting down the drink. He comes to believe he is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. He is finally treated for a bipolar disorder and eventually reaches a place of peace. Finally, the author tells his audience about how he developed his new career as the author of the Sister Mary Olga Fortitude series.


“Putting the Pieces Together” is a story of hope and faith. It is refreshingly honest. It is sad and funny. It is a story of personal triumph. It will touch your heart."

You Won’t Find Many Nuns Having This Much Fun!

When you think of the most memorable nuns, you might think of the wonderful characters portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act or Sally Field as the Flying Nun. I have exciting news for you. Now it’s time to make room for another lovable and entertaining nun character with plenty of laughs along the way.

In my first novel, "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude", Have A Heart convent has one unforgettable nun by the name of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude. Her unique views of spirituality and her genuine love of life and the residents of her small town of Bucksnort has some scratching their heads.

“To each their own” is one of Sister Mary Olga’s favorite sayings. She loves her bourbon that is secretly stashed in her crucifix and she also takes a quick break whenever she can to spark up a Marlboro cigarette.

T.L.I.A.M.G, my dears! Translated that means that The Lord Is A Mighty God. Sister Mary Olga may not always see eye to eye with authority figures, but her heart is in the right place. She spends much of her time teaching children the “golden rule” of important lessons in her Advanced Holiness class.

Sister Mary Olga has firsthand knowledge of the town’s secrets and brings the story directly to you. She wouldn’t have it any other way. You couldn’t ask for a better host in matters of the importance of tolerance and refraining from judgment. In fact, Sister Mary Olga confesses for her own shortcomings of gossip, booze, and her oh so wonderful cigarettes.

Sister Mary Olga transcends the wit and charm that will warm your heart through her trials and tribulations. She is joined by the Reverend Mother who used to be a prostitute, a gay convent chef, and Father Cowberries who never turns down a friendly chat with maybe a drink or two.


Find out what happens to the folks of Bucksnort through Sister Mary Olga’s eyes and pick up a copy of "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" (Book 1 of a series) and then pickup a copy of "Babes in Bucksnort" (Book 2 of a series). Both are available in Paperback Format $13.95 and in Kindle Format for $3.99 at Amazon.com.

Have you laughed yet today?

Author Davis Aujurd'hui

"Babes in Bucksnort" (Book #2 of a series) by Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

MORE MISADVENTURES THAT WILL TICKLE YOUR FUNNY BONE!

Here is the first sequel to the highly praised The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude. Once again the unconventional bourbon-swilling, chain-smoking nun will spin outrageously funny new tales about the residents of Bucksnort, Wisconsin while she tests the will of a reformed prostitute who just happens to be her Reverend Mother.

Unfortunately there's trouble brewing in the Snortlands. The nasty and notorious town busybody, Priscilla Bunhead, goes on a crusade to stamp out what she calls the gay menace. That's when she convinces her millionaire friend, Mildred Mayflower, to give away her fortune in order to bring the Reverend Billy-Bob Blunthead and his Born Again or Burn Forever Disciples for Jesus to town to do the job. It will be an uphill climb for them when the closet doors of many gay people in the Snortlands burst open. Billy-Bob and his wife, Pinky Poo, will have another battle on their hands when Dimples Dufus, the heiress to the Mayflower fortune, arrives on the scene to reclaim her fortune.

You'll also meet the hilariously bumbling, pothead psychiatrist, Doctor Wally Wacky-Wacko, who creates havoc for one of Sister Mary Olga's favorite fellow nuns. Along with Mildred Mayflower, they become victims of his multi-colored pills that only turn them into zombies. The handsome and virile gay cowboy chef, Randy Cowboy, makes an important self-discovery about his never-ending sexual pursuits when he joins a twelve-step program called Sex Maniacs Notorious.

The irascible Martha Mayhem settles down into comfortable domesticity with her new life partner who happens to be her sister-in law. Martha still manages to stir up trouble on Dinkledorf Drive with her fellow enemies and neighbors, the prudish Priscilla Bunhead and the voluptuous Lula Mae Bunsaplenty. The question that remains is whether Lula Mae's paramour, Jules Jesslike Pappas, will put up with her continuing manipulative feminine wiles.

In between the laughs, Sister Mary Olga continues to dispense nuggets of spiritual wisdom during her classes in Beginner's and Advanced Holiness. Just don't take seats near the flatulent child named Fartley Dinkledorf or his lecherous one-hundred five year-old grandfather, Poopsy. The bottom line is that everyone is welcome in Sister Mary Olga's classes. Join the diverse cast of zany characters for a joy ride that will tickle your funny bone until it aches.

Kindle Versions $3.99

"The Misadventures of Sister of Mary Olga Fortitude"  Purchase Here
"Babes in Bucksnort" Purchase Here
 
Both are also available in Paperback format at Amazon and Barnes and Noble!

Add Sister Mary Olga to the Entertaining List of Unforgettable Nuns

What do you think of when you hear the words comedy, laughter, and a Catholic nun?


As hilarious as that sounds, this isn’t a whole new concept. There have been a few unforgettable nuns over the past several decades. In fact, actress Sally Field starred in a classic television series “The Flying Nun” between 1967 – 1970 as a novice nun in the Daughters of Charity Convent. This fun storyline revolves around her flying ability when she needed to solve a problem that came her way by catching a passing breeze.

There isn't any flying involved in the novel "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude", but there’s a generous amount of smiles, giggles, and laughs. Bourbon swigging and Marlboro inhaling Sister Mary Olga prefers the more direct method of counseling her Advance Holiness students and parishioners.


Life is never boring in the small town of Bucksnort, Wisconsin. Sister Mary Olga has many messages to convey to you about life. Along the way, there are more of her misadventures that’s guaranteed to make you laugh with joy and lighten your day. She makes sure that there are a few life lessons sprinkled in there too for good measure.

Sister Mary had this to say recently:


“I’m sure it’s just a coincidence, but I’ve had a number of parishioners come to me looking for advice. Let’s just say that, in each case, these parishioners have unburdened their souls in much the same manner that one would do during a Holy confession. The only difference is that I’m not bound by the seal of the confessional. With that said, I’m sure that the Lord won’t mind if I tell you some of their stories in order to provide you with the spiritual instruction and illumination.”

Sister Mary Olga didn’t have to receive her Almighty instructions by way of flying either!

Find out more insight from Sister Mary Olga and the wacky town of Bucksnort by picking up a copy of 'The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" (Book 1 of the Series) and "Babes in Bucksnort" (Book 2 of the Series).........Working on 3rd part of the series as I type.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Both of the series are available in Paperback for $13.95 or Kindle format for $3.99 at Amazon.
Hope you enjoy! Feel free to leave a review on Amazon or a comment on my blog!

Humor and Laughter Go Together Perfectly

What is laughter?


Laughter is an actual human physiological response to humor. It is what we find funny, that infectious tickle to our funny bone. It’s that tingling feeling that reflects the more you try to stop laughing, the more you want to burst out in uproarious laughter.

Everyone has different levels of what’s actually humorous to them. In case you were ever wondering, laughter is the vocalized, expiratory of involuntary actions. We actually use fifteen facial muscles to simulate this wonderful release. Our respiratory system becomes a little upset with the half-closing of the larynx so that air intake occurs irregularly, making you gasp with glee.

Of course, we’ve all had the more extreme responses of tears rolling down our face, quick gasping of breath, face turning several shades of crimson, and those boisterous bodily shudders. That’s when we know humor is working positive influences on our body in some many wonderful, ticklish ways.

What’s the theory behind “what’s funny”?

There are three scientific theories behind what we know as comical and witty. The incongruity theory suggests that humor comes about when we see logic and familiarity replaced by things that don’t normally go together. The superiority theory occurs when we laugh and joke based on someone else’s mistakes or stupidity. And finally, the relief theory is the basis for movie makers and writers to give their audiences that relief, or rather comic relief, when the tension is high.

In my two novels, "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" and "Babes in Bucksnort" I’ve tried to incorporate all of these wonderful theories of what can strike your funny bone at any given time. Don’t just take my word for it, find out what zany and uproarious antics Sister Mary Olga will let you in on before you burst out laughing unable to catch your breath.

Blog# 1Author Davis Aujourd'hui
Blog #2 The Funniest Satire Series of the Decade

The above works are available in Paperback Format for $13.95 at Amazon.com and Kindle Format
for $3.99. Check them both out today and you will see you will be laughing in no time.

Guest Post: My Publishing Adventure by Davis Aujourd’hui

ALL THINGS JILL ELIZABETH
Jill Elizabeth posted this on September 15th, 2011

Today’s Guest Post is the second of two posts on writing and publishing, provided by Davis Aujourd’hui. Check out yesterday’s post on writing, and keep your eyes open for more from Davis in the next few weeks, including excerpts and more insights into writing. Enjoy!

I had never dreamed of writing a book, let alone writing a series of books. Consequently I had never dreamed of becoming a published writer. That all changed when I sat down at my computer and began to write a story based upon characters I’d developed in order to entertain a former colleague of mine. When I finished writing the book, I still had more ideas. One good book called out for another. By that point I had really gotten the writing bug and I began to craft a series of books based upon my hilariously wayward nun who loves her bourbon and her Marlboros – Sister Mary Olga Fortitude.


The question that remained was how I would go about becoming published. I felt like Alice in Wonderland. I had no knowledge whatsoever about the publishing industry. I was about to receive an education.

I bought a reference book called The Writer’s Market. It’s a book that’s revised every year. Within it are contained listings of agents and traditional publishers. The book is nicely organized so that its reader can determine which agents or publishers are interested in the genre of an author’s book and what an author needs to provide in order to be considered for publication. To begin with, the author needs to submit a query letter which provides basic information about his or her book. The Writer’s Market advises authors about how to compose such a letter and gives examples of good and bad query letters.

With The Writer’s Market in hand, I began to search through the listings of agents and publishers who might be interested in my first book. Many of them were able to be approached via email. That was how I began my search. I began to fire off query letters, sometimes attaching sample chapters in those instances when the listings indicated that the agent or publisher was open to receiving unsolicited material.

While I was pleased that I received some very positive feedback, no one offered me a contract. I didn’t lose heart. Having a book published via a traditional publisher is very difficult, especially in these tough economic times. I soon learned that there are over 400,000 books published every year. It’s a highly competitive business. That’s when I decided to consider other options.


The beauty is that, if one can write well, it’s possible to get published. This is due to the proliferation of publishers that will help an author self-publish a book. In most of these cases, the author retains creative control of his or her book and retains all rights to the book. Even so, there are some self-publishers who will insist on retaining publishing rights for a specified period of time. That was to become the case with the first self-publisher from whom I was offered a contract. That was also one of the reasons why I chose not to go with that publisher.

The pitfall to self-publishing is that the author usually has to pay the publisher to publish his or her book. There is also very little if any marketing assistance provided. This means that an author has to be willing to put a lot of time and effort into marketing if the author has any hopes of creating a financially successful book. That would become the task which lay before me.

First of all, I had to wade through an array of self-publishers from whom I was given offers. I ended up making my publishing decision on the basis of the recommendation of an author friend named Alan Ray Hoxie. He had already successfully published two books with Outskirts Press with whom he’d enjoyed a very positive experience. I decided to give them a try.

I was extremely pleased by the highly positive feedback I was given upon their review of my manuscript, "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude". They immediately offered me a contract and I decided to accept it. That was the beginning of a new adventure. It became a heady time for me. What came next was to work with an editor who formatted my book. After that I needed to review proofs of the book and make the necessary corrections before publication. I also worked with an illustrator who created a marvelous custom cover based upon my conception of several of the book’s leading characters. It was a lot of fun!

The publishing process didn’t take as long as it does with a traditional publisher. My book hit the market about two months after I began the process. It was an exciting day when I received my first copies of the book I had written two years earlier. That was when it became time to become active in marketing my book. Fortunately my publisher provided a marketing coach who provided direction in small doses so that I would not become overwhelmed.

Over the course of the next several months, I began to solicit reviewers to review my book and I began to pitch media across the country. I emailed every independent bookstore in the country. I held book signings at the local bookstores that carried my book. The major bookstores didn’t want to have anything to do with a self-published writer. That didn’t bother me since I had become aware that most books are now sold over the internet. The challenge was for me to create a buzz about my book.

I had very limited success with the media. My hometown paper generously ran two articles on my book. I had a podcast interview that was posted on itunes. KISS-FM also aired an interview on all of their radio stations. Furthermore I was fortunate to later receive a glowing spotlight article in Instinct Magazine.

Most of my reviews were excellent. My readers loved the book and the professionals who reviewed the book also gave me resounding thumbs up reviews. The vast majority of my reviews were rated at five out of five stars. I had high hopes, but my sales had only started to recoup my initial publishing fee. I decided it was time to make an investment in myself. I decided that I needed the help of a professional. That was when I went shopping for a publicist.

I soon became aware that the most important consideration in drawing attention to me and to my book was to permeate the internet. The question was how would I go about selecting a publicist. There was a veritable sea of them out there. Some of them were extremely expensive.


As before, personal experience played a role in my decision-making process. Through some informal networking on some book-related sites I developed a few relationships with some fellow authors. One of these authors shared her very positive experience in working with a publicist called Full Circle Administrative Services. She was very enthusiastic about them. I decided to check them out.

I looked at this author’s blog which had been created by them. I was impressed. I learned about all of the things that they could do to help promote an author and my new friend shared all that they had done for her. I decided to contact Full Circle for a quote.

A very personable woman named Mindy immediately responded to my email. Not only did she address my professional concerns, but she responded to me in a such a personal way that it helped relieve my anxiety over making a big decision. It didn’t take me long to decide to give them a try.


What made it even easier for me had been the endorsement of my new author friend named Jennifer Chase. She’s an up and coming author of crime and suspense novels for which she has received rave reviews. I felt a sense of renewed hope that my book would receive the attention which it deserves.

As for my blog, I was told that it was most important to create interest in me as a person. It was a secondary priority to create interest in my book. I was told that I needed to be patient. Success doesn’t happen overnight.

In the meantime, I was once again signed by Outskirts Press to publish my first sequel to "Misadventures" It is another deliciously silly satire called "Babes in Bucksnort". It should be published sometime within the next couple of months.


For now I am excited about seeing the blog which Mindy has nearly completed for me. Within it, I will keep the readers updated about the progress of my series. I will also be writing a number of articles about my own personal and professional experience relating to subjects covered in my books. I will cover topics such as recovery from alcoholism, recovery from sexual addiction, coming to a place of acceptance of being gay, recovery from mental illness, working as a social worker with the disenfranchised members of our society among a number of other interesting topics. I look forward to my readers’ comments and I look forward to my continuing publishing adventure.

Davis Aujourd’hui is the author of the Sister Mary Olga Fortitude series of hilarious satires. The first book is entitled "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude". It was followed by "Babes in Bucksnort". Davis possesses a rich life experience that has enabled him to draw from it in order to create a colorful canvas upon which to paint very human lives.

He is a retired social worker, having worked for Adult Protective Services in New York State for nearly twenty years. He developed the characters within his series of books in order to entertain a colleague by using the gift of humor. As will be the case with Sister Mary Olga in his third book, he is a recovering alcoholic. He also happens to be gay as are several of the endearing and humorous characters within his novels. He can speak from his own experience. He has possessed all of the foibles of his cast of characters who are naughty, nasty, and nice.

Davis lives in Upstate New York where he is currently sharing his life with his partner of seven years. He is socially-minded and spirituality is the most important ingredient in order for him to maintain a happy and successful life.

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"

"Babes in Bucksnort"

Both books are available in Paperback Format ($13.95) and Kindle Formats ($3.99)

Guest Post: So you Want to Wrte a Book, By Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Jill Elizabeth posted this on September 14th, 2011



Today’s Guest Post is the first of two posts on writing and publishing, provided by Davis Aujourd’hui.  Check back tomorrow for the second of this series – and keep your eyes open for more from Davis in the next few weeks, including excerpts and more insights into writing.  Enjoy!

So, You Want to Write a Book

Each of you has a book in yourself. After all, you all have your life stories. That is a starting point; at least it was for me. I wrote my memoirs about recovery from multiple addictions and mental illness. It helped me to heal and to learn how to put my thoughts down on paper. You can do that too.

Each of you is creative energy. You may not realize it. Just let yourself sit with that thought for awhile. Then try putting a pen to paper when the inspiration comes. You will be amazed at what can come out for you. It is your creative energy expressing itself.


Maybe you will express yourself through writing a poem. Perhaps it will be an anecdote from your life. Perhaps you will find the creative impulse to write a short story. Okay, that’s a beginning. Try to keep going. You do have a book in you.

Use your imagination. Let it flow as you put your pen to paper or run your fingers over your keyboard. Believe in yourself and you will create. If it’s meant to be, it will be. Whatever you can dream, you can also realize. Don’t allow any negative thoughts or excuses stand in your way. Affirm to yourself, I am writing a book.

Practice every day or so. You don’t have to write much. Just keep at it and you will find yourself moving in a forward direction. Before you know it, you will be on your way to writing that book.

Okay, now the book is written. The question is, how can you publish it? That’s easy these days. While the traditional publishing industry is very hard to break into, there are many self-publishers. Just google that and you will come up with many. Check them out. Many of them will charge you very little to publish your book. You may not have a best-seller, but you can publish your book if you truly want to do it.

That’s what I did. While I didn’t publish my memoirs, I have written several books about a wayward nun named Sister Mary Olga Fortitude. She loves her bourbon and her Marlboros. That always gets her into trouble with her Reverend Mother who is a reformed prostitute. The zany characters don’t stop there. I just let my imagination continue to create my zany characters and hilarious situations.

Once my first book, "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude", was published, I just kept on going. My next book, "Babes in Bucksnort", was soon out. I’d never had more fun in my life and I was off on an adventure! That’s when my challenges began. After all, I was embarking on a new career and I wanted to make a success of it. Now, it was time to promote my book and I realized I needed help.


I hired a wonderful publicist by the name of Mindy Schwartz of Full Circle Administrative Services. She created a marvelous blog for me and I began to write articles such as this one. She began to post them all over the internet.


Then I began to get radio interviews. It was an exciting time to revel in my experience as I shared it with my listening audience. After all, it’s no good unless you give it away. While I wanted to make a success of my book, I also want to inspire my listeners to be all that they could be too.


If you have ever dreamed of becoming an author, I encourage you to take these simple steps. You can do it. Dream a little while. Then take some action. Dreams do come true.


***


Davis Aujourd’hui is the author of the Sister Mary Olga Fortitude series of hilarious satires. The first book is entitled "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude". It was followed by "Babes in Bucksnort". Davis possesses a rich life experience that has enabled him to draw from it in order to create a colorful canvas upon which to paint very human lives.

He is a retired social worker, having worked for Adult Protective Services in New York State for nearly twenty years. He developed the characters within his series of books in order to entertain a colleague by using the gift of humor. As will be the case with Sister Mary Olga in his third book, he is a recovering alcoholic. He also happens to be gay as are several of the endearing and humorous characters within his novels. He can speak from his own experience. He has possessed all of the foibles of his cast of characters who are naughty, nasty, and nice.

Davis lives in Upstate New York where he is currently sharing his life with his partner of seven years. He is socially-minded and spirituality is the most important ingredient in order for him to maintain a happy and successful life.

Author Interview of Author Davis Aujourd'hui By leah Ryman at Journey Reader

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Author Interview: Davis Aujourd'hui
By Leah Ryman at Journey Reader

Author Bio:

"Davis Aujourd'hui is the pen name of the author of the Sister Mary Olga Fortitude series. The first book, entitled “The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude,” was just published in October 2008 by Outskirts Press. “Babes in Bucksnort” is the first sequel, soon to be followed by “Have A Heart.”

Davis is a new author, yet he possesses a rich life experience that has enabled him to draw from it in order to create a colorful canvas upon which to paint very human lives. He is a retired social worker, having worked for Adult Protective Services in New York State for nearly twenty years. He developed the characters within his series of books in order to entertain a colleague of his using the gift of humor.

As will be the case of the title character in his third book, Davis is a recovering alcoholic. He also happens to be gay as is the case with several of the endearing and humorous characters within his novels. He can speak from his own experience. He has possessed all of the foibles of his cast of characters, including those naughty, nasty, and nice."

What inspires your stories?

Years ago, when I was a social worker, I developed my characters in order to entertain a colleague of mine. I would leave her voice mails in which I impersonated characters within scenarios that I spontaneously created. She loved it and that inspired me to develop more.

When I retired, I thought to myself that I could write a book about my chain-smoking, bourbon-swilling nun along with the cast of other zany characters. I sat down and wrote "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" in a little over a month.

Since I hadn't run out of ideas, I immediately continued by writing "Babes in Bucksnort". From there, I wrote a total of eleven books in the series. I hope to have "Have A Heart" published within a year.

What genre do you gravitate toward and why?

I write in the humor genre with a slant toward satire that contains a spiritual message. I do this because I love to make people laugh. I also want my readers to come away with inspiration and food for thought. I dedicate all of my books to adult children who deserve a chance to not take life so seriously.

What are your work habits like?

I generally write every day. I write from two to ten hours per day. I let inspiration be my guide and let it flow from there.

What do you consider your best work?

My best works are yet to come, but both Misadventures and Babes have been well-received. I have received an average of 4.5 out of 5 star reviews on Amazon.com

Do you plot out your novels in advance or do you write on the fly?

I let inspiration be my guide. I do not plot out my novels in advance, though I sometimes have certain themes and scenarios I want to develop as I continue to write. I generally allow my intuition develop the tale as I continue to go with the flow. The end results have always been very gratifying.

What experience do you want for your readers?

I want my readers to laugh out loud from beginning to end. I also want them to take a look at themselves as they relate to the characters. In so doing, my readers may discover qualities they wish to develop as they let go of those which do not serve their continued growth.

Are any of your character traits or settings based on real life?

All fiction tends to be based upon the writer's life experience. Such has been the case with me. I have incorporated qualities I have witnessed in others as I have developed my characters. What has been the most fun for me has to create nasty characters based on ornery people I have known in real life.

What are your most significant challenges when you write?

The most significant challenge has been writer's block. When I encounter that, I simply let go of all thoughts. As I do so, inspiration returns to me and I continue to go with the flow.

It is also a challenge to keep track of my many characters and to give them equal attention within my books. As they develop over time, I need to remember what has transpired in previous books. This often means that I need to return to my previous books as a touchstone for further development.

What are you currently working on?

I have just finished a reincarnational romance about a couple who travels through three lifetimes together. I am currently seeking an agent to represent the book to a traditional publisher.

Do you have any writing advice you would like to share with aspiring authors?

Keep writing and perfecting your craft. Keep the faith and never give up.



"Babes in Bucksnort" is the sequel to the highly praised "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude." Once again the unconventional bourbon-swilling, chain-smoking nun will spin outrageously funny new tales about the residents of Bucksnort, Wisconsin while she tests the will of a reformed prostitute who just happens to be her Reverend Mother.

Unfortunately there is trouble brewing in the Snortlands. The nasty and notorious town busybody, Priscilla Bunhead, goes on a crusade to stamp out what she calls the gay menace. That's when she convinces her millionaire friend, Mildred Mayflower, to give away her fortune in order to bring the Reverend Billy-Bob Blunthead and his Born Again or Burn Forever Disciples for Jesus to town to do the job. It will be an uphill climb for them as the closet doors of many gay people in the Snortlands burst open.

Billy-Bob and his wife, Pinky Poo, will have another battle on their hands when Dimples Dufus, the heiress to the Mayflower fortune, arrives on the scene. They'll also have to reckon with a mysterious woman who channels an entity who challenges the hateful and hypocritical agenda of this spokesman for Jesus.

In between the laughs, Sister Mary Olga continues to dispense nuggets of spiritual wisdom during her classes in Beginner's and Advanced Holiness. Just don't take seats near the flatulent child named Fartley Dinkledorf or his lecherous one-hundred five year-old grandfather, Poopsy. The bottom line is that everyone is welcome in Sister Mary Olga's classes. Join the diverse cast of characters for a joy-ride that will tickle your funny bone until it aches.

Links to purchase books:

The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude -  Kindle Format for $3.99
The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude  - Paperback Edition for $13.95


Babes in Bucksnort - Paperback Edition for $13.95
Babes in Bucksnort - Kindle Edition for $3.99

The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga is also available at Barnes and Noble (Paperback)
Babes in Bucknort is also available at Barnes and Noble (Paperback)


Thank you for visiting, Davis! - LR