Growing up Catholic

It's not a secret.

The average reader will have concluded that most of the Catholic themed portions of the novel are influenced by the author's upbringing.

While Sera Fletcher was often excused from Sunday mass,  my siblings and I were obligated to attend church.  Some of my brothers were altar servers so they had no excuse.

 
I have fuzzy memories of my First Communion and dropping my little white Bible into the Seguin River on the way home.  

As we became teenagers, some of us played hooky, smoking cigarettes and killing time beside the railway tracks. Shame, shame!
 
Sera would spend her Sunday mornings with the Johnsons, the kind neighbours who encouraged her to read Bible stories from Baptist and Coptic sources. After church, the Fletcher family and close friends gathered for brunch at the Red Hare restaurant. 

Those were good, wholesome times. 

What memories do you have of growing up Catholic? Any anecdotes filled with wonder, mischief or the fear of punishment by fire and brimstone? Do submit a comment below.

If you have read the novel, please add your comments to those of the other readers. Thanks!

If you haven't read the novel yet, take a detour through Smashwords to download a sampling of the ebook format of The Year of the Rabbit.  If the notion grabs you, purchase a copy of the entire novel.  You get to set the price.  How do you like them apples?


Thanks for dropping by!  

T

November is Picture Book Month at the Huntsville Public Library

While my writing friends are hunkering down to tap out an 80,000 word draft novel, I'm taking it easy with reading and fondly gazing at the remaining picture books in our home.

The kids are grown up but I still have a soft spot for some of our favourite titles. 

Edgar the Bear with a reading recommendation

As mentioned many times in this blog, I also have a soft spot and great respect for public libraries.  I even scored a work term in a library many years ago.

The library in my old stomping ground is celebrating November as Picture Book Month and posting recommendations from staff and patrons.  I think it's a great way to engage patrons, parents and families in sharing the love of reading.

The role of libraries has evolved over the past few decades.  To me, they are still gathering places in a community where people can search for information, acquire knowledge and exchange ideas.

In the novel, the library is a place where Sera Fletcher could escape and seek comfort during difficult times.  You won't find a printed version of The Year of the Rabbit in a library yet.  You can find the eBook version at Smashwords.  

Please submit a review there, at Goodreads or drop me a line.  See what others have written.


Thanks for reading!

 T

Have a safe and happy Halloween

Here's wishing all the kids big and small a happy Halloween.

Most of us have fun memories of the "night of dressing up for free candy". Most parents I know support their kids in making it a night of spooky thrills.

There are fiction writers who offer creepy, scary stories to make your hair stand up.  I just want to make you cry. That's right.  Here is an excerpt from the novel about the night Sera Fletcher's friend was spirited away. 

Read more excerpts from The Year of the Rabbit.  Download a free ebook sampling from Smashwords.


Thanks for stopping by.  Stay safe, warm and dry.

T

Loneliness

The kids are back in school. 

Most elementary and middle school students have made new friends or reunited with old ones to form their social circles and cliques.  

Let's not overlook the quiet loners who seek a safe corner of the playground or a quiet nook in the library.  They are likely too shy or embarrassed to approach a group and risk rejection after asking to be included. 

As much as parents and teachers would like to promote reading for our children, let's recognize that some of them turn to reading to escape loneliness.  Perhaps they can join a book club at the school or the public library.  That's one way to start.

Halloween is coming up too.  It used to be a happy, exciting occasion for Sera Fletcher, her siblings and friends.  That was until the night her best friend was whisked away. She soon turned to books and the public library as safe places with imaginary friends and wonderful, happy worlds.

 
"There's a little bit of Sera in all of us."

 How about you?  Is there a lonely tween wavering inside?

I invite you to read more excerpts from The Year of The Rabbit, a Novel About Fate, Family and Forgiveness.  Join others who enjoyed this piece of Canadian fiction.  Download the first few chapters of the eBook for free from Smashwords. 

Thanks for dropping by.

T