WHY I LOVE WRITING HUMOR

I have always loved to read and to laugh. After all, it's been said that laughter is the best medicine. Some of my favorite humor authors have served to inspire my own writing. I love the zany humor of Carl Hiaasen and Armistead Maupin. Armistead especially inspired me since he, too, wrote a series of humorous books such as I have.

Humor is such a wonderful escape from the cares of life. My life has been filled with many dark moments and I have used humor to chase the darkness away. Hopefully, my readers will also be able to do the same thing with my series of books. The first book is entitled "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude". The first sequel is called "Babes in Bucksnort" and that will soon be followed by "Have A Heart".

Writing humorous books is also a wonderful escape for me. Wrapped in the spell of inspiration, I spontaneously spin outrageously funny tales that will make my readers laugh from the beginning to the end of the books. That's my own satisfaction too since I laugh out loud as I write the books. It's a wonderful escape for me and I have never had more fun in my life.

I have been inspired by many humorous anecdotes from my own life. I used to work with mentally-ill clients who had some of the funniest delusions. While my own characters are not delusional, I have drawn from my past experiences with humor in my life to create funny characters.

They have zany names like Fartley Dinkledorf, Lula Mae Bunsaplenty, Muchmore Mayhem, and Jules Jesslike Pappas to name a few. In the case of Jules, he was so named when the nurse held up the little baby for his mother to pick a name. She took one look at the little baby with the large endowment and immediately thought of his father. That's when she exclaimed “Jewels just like Papa's!”

In the case of Fartley Dinkledorf, he is a little boy who takes perverse pleasure in passing gas. Poor Sister Mary Olga! She decides to take a chance and to cast him as the baby Jesus in the annual Christmas pageant. True to form, Fartley lets one rip while in the manger. That's when Sister Mary Olga exclaims, “Fart!” That's also when the Reverend Mother abruptly ends the show.

Priscilla Bunhead is a prudish spinster who wears her hair in a tight little bun. I maintain that it's so tight that her mind is closed shut like a steel trap. She's a busybody who is always digging in the dirt and she finds plenty of that in the fictional town of Bucksnort, Wisconsin. When she learns that she's surrounded by gay people, she goes on a crusade to get them evicted from the Snortlands. It makes for wonderful conflict and great humor because she gets hers in the end.

Yes, I love humor and thank God I've got an active imagination! From that place, I am able to conjure up all kinds of hilarious scenarios. As I go along my merry way, I continue to find new inspiration which has led me to write a total of eleven books in the series. My readers won't have to thirst long between books since I have an arsenal of side-splitting laughs available for them. The beautiful thing is that I haven't run out of ideas yet.

I love to entertain and that is what I promise you. I have created books that you won't want to put down and for which you will be craving the next one. From beginning to end, you will find yourself in stitches of laughter. This is my calling and my gift to you.

Enjoy your journey!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

"The Sister Mary Olga Book Series"

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" is available at Amazon.com in Paperback for $13.95 PURCHASE HERE Kindle Format is available at Amazon.com for $3.99 PURCHASE HERE

"Babes in Bucksnort" is available at Amazon.com in Paperback for $13.95 in Paperback for $13.95 PURCHASE HERE Kindle Format is available at Amazon.com for $3.99 PURCHASE HERE

Happy 4th of July to You and Your Families!

Have a fun and safe Holiday!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Amazon.com Announces again that they are selling more "KINDLES" then Books

Author Davis Aujourd'hui does offer his pieces of work in Kindle Format!

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" Book 1



"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga" Book #1 of a series
You can purchase this Kindle for $3.99 Here

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Get ready for non-stop laughs

Are you ready for a class in Advanced Holiness for people from all walks of life? Then, perhaps you're ready to take a trip to the Have A Heart convent in Bucksnort, Wisconsin. There, you'll meet a nun you're not likely to forget - Sister Mary Olga Fortitude.

The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude is a satire with a spiritual message, but there's a lot of hanky panky going on here. Sister Mary Olga is an irreverent nun who has some unique spiritual views that differ from those of the Pope. She's a great believer of "to each, their own." She also loves her Marlboros and her bourbon. Just don't let the Reverend Mother in on her secret. The next class in Advanced Holiness may be canceled.

Here in Bucksnort, you'll meet a zany cast of all-too-human characters. There's a lot of secret-keeping going on here, but Sister Mary Olga will be sure to deliver the goods in order to provide you with good and bad examples of holiness.

The Reverend Mother is a former prostitute. The convent's chef is a gay cowboy. Priscilla Bunhead is the town busybody who opens some other closet doors. She, along with the other folks on Dinkledorf Drive, serve up examples of what not to do.

One thing's for sure. These characters will lighten your load and help you to not take life so seriously. Get ready for non-stop laughs.

From the Publisher

Davis Aujourd'hui: Your narrative voice is FANTASTIC. Reading through your work was like sitting across from you and having a cup of coffee. I really enjoyed it! Your work demonstrates strong writing with a nice flow. You really have done a nice job putting together your book. Your writing proves you did your homework before writing your story as your story line flows so nicely. Your book is written well and I have to say that there were times I wondered if I was reading fiction or nonfiction. Congratulations! I look forward to working with you on your project.

Thank you! Tinamarie Ruvalcaba, Author Representative, Outskirts Press

And Yes, "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" is available in Paperback for $13.95 and can be purchased here

So, I am curious, what do you prefer the paperback format or the kindle format?

Thank You and Hope You Enjoy,

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

GIVE FORGIVENESS AS YOUR GIFT TO DAD ON FATHER'S DAY

Did you have a difficult upbringing? Perhaps your father was an alcoholic. Perhaps he wasn't supportive of you in some way. Perhaps he was overcritical. Perhaps he was an absent parent.

With the approach of Father's Day, this may be a difficult time of year for you to reconcile your feelings toward Dad. Give yourself and him a gift. Give him the gift of forgiveness.

So, you say you aren't ready? If that's the case, you're probably right. Your challenge now is to do the work that will bring you to a place of freedom. Otherwise, the past will hold you in bondage.

Did you feel rejected because you didn't like sports, weren't as favorite as your siblings, or because you were gay? Chances are, your father experienced these things too in his past. Everyone continues to act out their past on some level until they have healed themselves.

Maybe you were one of the lucky ones. Maybe Dad joined Alcoholics Anonymous and got sober. Maybe he came to value you as his gay child. Perhaps he joined Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. If this has been the case, you are truly blessed. Just remember to count those blessings and to let go of the past.

If you weren't so lucky, you will have to dig deep. Facing pain is never easy. Denial or blame is an easy defense. The problem is that you will never grow if you don't face your pain. You may also be denying yourself a chance to salvage a relationship with the man who gave you life.

Here are my suggestions to you:

 If you dad was or is an alcoholic, join Al-Anon. This is a program for family members of alcoholics. It will help you find a way to stop blaming and to open yourself to unconditional love.

 If you were traumatized by your father, seek therapy. Abuse or neglect can take place in so many forms. Forgiveness can be offered too quickly if you aren't ready to do so. You must first do the healing for yourself.

 If you were rejected or criticized by your dad, try a loving confrontation. Don't blame or accuse. Simply tell him how you felt. You never know when you can melt another's heart. Take the chance to open his and it will open yours too.

 If your father still doesn't approve of you - perhaps because you are gay; perhaps because you have an active addiction; perhaps because you are in a relationship with whom he disagrees - once again, approach him at a feeling level. Don't feel the need to explain yourself. Just let love lead the way. Don't be afraid to do this if you're a man. It takes courage. You possess it whether you realize it or not.

When you think you may be ready, you probably are. Now is the time to give the gift. Let your father know that you love him. Just as importantly, let him know you forgive him. Those will be the greatest gifts you could ever give.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Davis Aujourd’hui – "Babes in Bucksnort"

Interview
by Cathy B Stucker

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.
I have written a series of hilarious religious satires with a spiritual message. My latest book is entitled Babes in Bucksnort. It is about a naughty nun who teaches classes in Advanced Holiness.

Once again the unconventional bourbon-swilling, chain-smoking nun will spin hilarious tales about the residents of Bucksnort while she tests the will of a reformed prostitute who just happens to be her Reverend Mother.

But there’s trouble brewing in the Snortlands.

The town busybody crusades to stamp out “the gay menace.” That’s when she brings 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 when the closet doors of many gay people burst open.

In between laughs, Sister Mary Olga dispenses nuggets of wisdom during her Holiness Classes. 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.

Tell us something about yourself.

I am the creator of the Sister Mary Olga Fortitude series of religious and social satires. As will be the case with Sister Mary Olga in my next book, I am a recovering alcoholic. I also happen to be gay as are several of the endearing and humorous characters within my novels. I speak from my own experience. I have possessed all of the foibles of my cast of characters, including those naughty, nasty, and nice. I am socially-minded and spirituality is the most important ingredient in order for me to maintain a happy and successful life.

What inspired you to write this book?
I have always loved to write, but I didn’t begin to write full length novels until five years ago after I had taken an early retirement. That’s when I had an inspiration. I remembered the characters of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude and her friends which I’d developed in order to entertain a colleague of mine while I’d been working as a social worker. I thought to myself, I bet I could write a book about these crazy characters! That’s when I sat down and I wrote The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude in a little over a month. The thing was, I had more ideas…so I wrote another. Amazingly I still hadn’t run out of ideas! Over the course of the next four years I have written eleven novels in the series and I have no plans to stop as long as the characters continue to inspire me.

How did you choose the title?
I maintain that we are all children of God. That is where the name Babes comes from. Bucksnort is the name of my fictional town in Wisconsin.

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?
While I received much positive feedback from some traditional publishers, they didn’t want to publish the book. Consequently, I chose to self-publish it. My reader reviews have been ecstatic. I hope to obtain a traditional publisher for the next book in the series which is entitled Have A Heart.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you get started?
Although I have always loved to write, I never dreamed I would have a career as an author. I retired from many years as a social worker. Then I started by writing my memoirs. Following that, I wanted to write more. That’s when I remembered the zany characters I had developed in order to entertain a colleague of mine. I realized that I could write a book about them. One book led to another and I now have a successful career.

Do you have any writing rituals?
I discipline myself by spending many hours each day. Then I spontaneously create my crazy characters and the outrageous situations in which they find themselves involved. It is all a matter of waiting for the inspiration to come. Then I am off to the races.

How do you come up with the names for your characters?
Of course, I had created many of the names when I had entertained my colleague. Otherwise, I just let my imagination lead the way. I try to make the names as funny as the scenarios of my books. Many of the names suggest characteristics that my characters possess. It is all great fun.

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book? What?
I learned that inspiration is the key to successful writing. When it’s not there, I simply shift gears and write articles for my blog. As for writing and publishing both, my mantra is to never give up. Dreams do come true.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?
No! I believe that everything happens for a reason and that it does no good to have any regrets.

What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?
I love to read funny books and spiritual books. I love the books of Armistead Maupin who has been an inspiration to me in developing my own series. I also appreciate the zany humor of Carl Hiassen. As for spiritual authors, my favorites include Anthony DeMello, Eric Butterworth, Deepak Chopra, and Eckhardt Tolle.

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?
The next book in my series is already written and awaiting publication. It is entitled Have A Heart.

Sister Mary Olga is always getting into trouble with her Reverend Mother, a former prostitute. Among a cast of zany characters is a gay cowboy, the town prude and busybody, Priscilla Bunhead, and her hatchet man, the Reverend Billy-Bob Blunthead and his Born Again or Burn Forever Disciples for Jesus. Billy-Bob will be put to the test by an eccentric woman named Cherie Amour who channels a spiritual entity named Ruth. His own past in a closet of shame eventually catches up with him.

Sister Mary Olga finally has to face the music when the Mother Carmen Burana sends her off to Holy Happenings Rehab. Upon her release she joins a twelve-step program called Alcoholics Unanimous while the bawdy Randy Cowboy joins a similar program called Sex Maniacs Notorious.

The book builds to a close with one surprising climax after another. Its strength lies in its original, outlandish humor. The characters, with their hilarious names, are archetypes of the universal human condition. We all have our foibles. This book is designed to make its readers laugh out loud as they look at their own.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?
Keep perfecting your craft and never give up hope.

Who is the perfect reader for your book?
My books will appeal to anyone who has an open mind, a zest for their spirits, and loves to laugh. They will especially appeal to gay and lesbian readers since many of the deliciously dysfunctional characters within the book are gay. Recovering alcoholics will embrace the outrageous situations encountered by the booze-loving Sister Mary Olga and her Advanced Holiness students. “Recovering Catholics” who do not agree with everything the pope holds to be true will embrace Sister Mary Olga’s unconventional views on Christianity.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

They can visit my blog at http://bestsatireseriesofthedecade.blogspot.com/


They can also visit Amazon.com to look at my rave reviews and to purchase the book which is also available in kindle format.


My Facebook fan page is located at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davis-Aujourdhui/138584429540046

LAUGH YOUR TROUBLES AWAY

Life may not be a bowl of cherries, but I am offering you some delectable desserts within my two Sister Mary Olga books. If you have an open mind and a zest for living, you will be able to laugh your troubles away. If you're in a place of joy, I will only increase it.

The irreverent Sister Mary Olga Fortitude is a nun who likes to nip her booze while she sends up smoke signals to God from her Marlboro cigarettes. She does this much to the consternation of her Reverend Mother who happens to be a reformed prostitute.

I throw into the mix a diverse cast of delightfully dysfunctional characters with whom to titillate your funny bone. Try out the dried out prudish prune, Priscilla Bunhead. She is in sharp contrast to the fun-loving gay cowboy chef, Randy Cowboy. Just wait until he finds out a secret beneath a nun's habit when he discovers that Sister Samantha isn't what she appears to be.

You'll meet the clown-like Lilliliver Lipstick who dabbles in the dirt with Priscilla. The two of them recruit an arch conservative minister named Reverend Billy-Bob Blunthead. He and his wife, Pinky Poo, bring the Born Again or Burn Forever Disciples for Jesus to Bucksnort to wipe out what they consider to be perversion.

You've got it! Priscilla and Billy-Bob don't like gay people and there are plenty of gay characters with whom they tangle. Priscilla gets her panties in an uproar only to find that her crusade backfires on her when the townspeople of Bucksnort come out in support of their gay brothers and sisters.

You'll relate to the foibles of my cast as you learn to laugh at your own.

Take a joy ride to Bucksnort.

Visit Amazon.com where you can purchase "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" and "Babes in Bucksnort".

Just be prepared to get your own panties into an uproar.

Enjoy the journey!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Available in Paperback and Kindle Formats! Kindle Formats are $3.99. You can purchase Kindle Format and send as a gift to anyone that has an email address. 

LET YOUR SPIRIT LEAD THE WAY

Why let your ego with all of its insecurities get in the way of going with the flow? Let your spirit lead the way. It is a matter of letting go of doubt and embracing faith. Let go of fear and let love be your guiding force.

All too often in life, you allow yourself to fall into negative patterns that perpetuate themselves. What you put out, you attract. You can break the cycle. Just remember that grace is always flowing your way. It's up to you to claim it for yourself.

Practice awareness of your thoughts. Observe them without judging them. Allow yourself the freedom to choose the ones you want. Take responsibility for your life.

It all starts with your thoughts. Discard the ones that don't serve your spirit. Embrace those that enhance it. Then you will send forth rockets of desire that will manifest those things you wish to possess. Positive thoughts will bring positive results.

Now, it's time to put into practice the principles you are learning. You are not in this life alone. As you let your spirit and love be your guiding force, you will attract more of the same from others.

Do not attach any conditions. Appreciate what is and do not dwell on what has not yet manifested. It is all a matter of accepting that life and people are inherently good; so are you! Remember, the Source of your being only wants the best for you. It is up to you to believe that.

Consider the following. Will you be empowered by a particular thought or action? Will you feel “good” about it? Is it a loving one or is it based upon a selfish thought or desire? Are you following The Golden Rule which is to do to others what you would have them do unto you? If you can answer yes to the following questions, you will be coming from a place of love.

You have the choice. You can create heaven for yourselves or you can create hell. Why would anyone choose to create the latter choice? Heaven can be yours now.

What I am speaking about is leading a life based upon spirit. It does not necessarily have anything to do with religion. All you need to do is to believe in yourself and that there is a benevolent power in the universe. This power only wants the best for you. Yet it will not manifest if you don't put into practice the principles of which I am speaking.

There are only two forces operating in the universe – love and fear. It's up to you to choose. As it's been said, there is nothing to fear except fear itself. Let the power of love be yours today.

Remain aware and do no wrong. If you make an error, remember it is correctable. It simply means it's time to admit you are wrong and to forgive yourself. Practice the same love for yourself that you would extend to another. Do not be your own worst enemy.

Stay in the moment. Affirm and practice that which is positive. Always let your spirit lead the way. The results will be amazing.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Book Series:

Book #1 "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"

Book #2 "Babes in Bucksnort"

Both are available in Paperback and Kindle Format. The Kindle Format is at a special price of $3.99

Celebrate Diversity One and All

Have you ever felt as if you were the only person like yourself in the whole world? Guess what? You are. Each of you is a unique expression of the human experience. Your task is to embrace all that you are and to celebrate yourself.

Perhaps you're in a minority group. You might be African-American, Asian, Latino, or gay. Perhaps you just feel as if you were a nerd. Some of the most famous people in history felt that way. They didn't let that stop them from becoming all that they could be.

Look at Albert Einstein. He didn't begin to talk until he was four years old. Yet he went on to become the father of atomic science. He met life's challenges on life's terms and became one of the most famous scientists in history.

Look at Maya Angelou. She was another person who didn't talk for many years during a childhood as an abused African-American girl. Yet she went on to become one of our nation's most prominent poets. She also served as an inspiration to another African-American girl who had been abused as a child. That was Oprah Winfrey. She became our most celebrated television talk show host and she served to inspire countless others whether of not they may have lived lives of oppression.

Each of you possess your own unique gifts which can serve to inspire others. The challenge is to embrace yourself so that you may discover what you have to offer. Surround yourself with people who affirm you and inspire you. That is the key to self-acceptance.

I have had my own challenges with self-acceptance. I didn't want to be gay, but I eventually learned that it was a good thing. Along the way, I struggled with things like alcoholism, clinical depression, and sexual addiction.

I worked hard at becoming a champion and I am now a published author of a series of hilarious satires. I have learned to embrace things in my past that didn't seem funny. I have made lemonade out of lemons as I have learned how to laugh at myself. In so doing, I have created a series of books that have made my readers laugh out loud.

My books contain characters that aren't so different from you. Many of them are minorities. I even have a transgendered nun in my book. She didn't let that stop her from realizing her dream. She went on to become the nun she had always wanted to be.

I have characters who are overeaters who celebrate their big bodies. I have a closeted gay man who comes to terms with his sexuality and learns to love it. I have a gay cowboy who struggles with sexual addiction, himself, but who finds recovery in a twelve-step program called Sex Maniacs Notorious.

It takes all kinds to make the world go around. Wouldn't it be boring if that was not the case! I ask you to celebrate yourselves and to celebrate diversity. You can each make an individual difference for the betterment of life.

Go for your joy!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Chase Away Those Winter Blues

Winter got you down? Feeling a case of those seasonal depressive blues? I've got the antidote for you. I'll have you laughing and your spirits shining within the first five pages of either of my books. Take a joy ride to Bucksnort with the naughty nun who likes her booze and her Marlboros – Sister Mary Olga .


"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" is a hilarious narrative dispensed by the irreverent nun who isn't an advocate for the pope. She's got her own brand of spirituality and will sprinkle nuggets of wisdom amidst a multitude of zany scenarios. You'll be introduced to the cast of diverse and deliciously dysfunctional characters of Bucksnort, Wisconsin as you enter a wonderland filled with people you'll grow to love and love to hate.

The Reverend Mother is a former prostitute and a continual thorn in Sister Mary Olga's habits. Gay chef, Randy Cowboy, is one of the gay and lesbian characters who take a ride on the wild side along with some of their more straight-laced townspeople. There is nothing joyful about the town prude, Priscilla Bunhead. Her specialty is digging in the dirt and there's plenty of that to be found in Bucksnort. I like to season my book with spice like the cowboy chef seasons his food and sex life.

"Babes in Bucksnort" will take you on a continuing adventure which will introduce you to characters like the pothead zombie psychiatrist, Dr. Wally Wacky-Wacko. Dr. Wally doesn't exactly have a thriving practice, but he likes to practice his profession upon the unsuspecting who don't necessarily fare for the better from his pretty colored pills.

You'll meet a nun with a secret beneath her habit, a young heiress with a botched facelift which gives her a perpetual look of amazement, and a haughty African-American queen who gives her elderly paramour, Jules Jesllike Pappas, a run for his money.

You'll meet Priscilla Bunhead's newest neighbor and impressionable convert, Lilliliver Lipstick. The little girl in a woman's body doesn't know the first thing about grooming or makeup. She paints clown-like circles on her pasty face and wears bright red lipstick while coloring her hair an unappealing shade of dishwater blond. Priscilla soon has Lilliliver wearing her hair in a tight little bun. This only serves to constrict her already closed mind.

The two of them become alarmed as more gay people come out of the closet. That's when they seek help from the charismatic and arch conservative Reverend Billy-Bob Blunthead and his Born Again or Burn Forever Disciples for Jesus. Their bumbling and misguided efforts only serve to heighten the consciousness of people who are ready to open their minds and embrace the diversity of humanity.

Just don't think that I keep a serious tone to my books for long. My specialty is to continue to tickle your funny bone so that you'll be jumping out of your seats with whoops of laughter. My books are a cross between the humor of Armistead Maupin, Carl Hiassen, and Garrison Keillor.

At this point in the season, you may think that winter will never end. I offer you two joy-filled gifts that will help move the time more quickly when you think another gray day will never end. Be prepared to be royally entertained. Order both books from Amazon.com and receive free shipping and handling. You won't be disappointed for long when you're through because there are many more chronicles from Bucksnort yet to come.

Hope You all enjoy, looks like a long winter ahead of us!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui