SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Seventeen of the young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches" - NOW AVAILABLE

A sneak peek of chapter seventeen of The Priest and the Peaches - a young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"Batman & Robin" collapse a ceiling

“Hey, Beeker, let’s play Batman and Robin. Watch this.” And just like that, Joey bounced across the bed and rolled onto the floor triggering a new round of heavy coughing.

Downstairs, Beatrice was in her living room lying on the sofa. Wrapped in a bathrobe and covered with a blanket, she was quickly using up the box of tissues on the coffee table as she attempted to restrain her cough and keep her nose dry. She heard the thump caused by Joey's landing. Turning her head upward, she glared at the ceiling. “They’d better not start,” she mumbled to herself.

Beeker started to laugh and decided to keep wearing his damp Batman pajamas. The shirt was stretched up passed his belly button and the legs on the bottoms barely covered his knees. “Okay, watch me.” He climbed onto the dresser before jumping down on the bed. Rolling onto the floor, he said, “Oh, I forgot something.”

He grabbed a dirty towel, tied it around his neck making a Batman cape. Back on top of the dresser, he flew with outstretched arms onto the bed again. The Batman and Robin show was in full swing. They both began taking turns leaping from the dresser to the bed before rolling onto the floor.

Maybe it was an adrenalin rush but the characters they were pretending to be took over their psyche. Beeker and Joey, coughing and sneezing, overcame their blazing fevers turning into superheroes. Time after time, they climbed up on the dresser and flew to the bed.

Beatrice was holding her pounding head in her hands. They have one more minute to stop or else.

The bed, supported by four wooden slats across the bed frame, held together as long as it could. Then Batman made an extra mighty leap and the bed collapsed, slamming to the floor. Not only did the box spring and mattress crash to the floor, the side rails ripped from the headboard causing it to fall forward. The combination of all the parts collapsing together made for a super loud crash.

Beatrice was so startled by the crash that she vaulted up from her prone position. She accidentally rolled off the sofa smashing her head on the edge of the coffee table.

The crash was so loud—it even woke Dancer. Robin, not concerned in the least about the collapsed bed, was about to make another leap when Dancer came bursting in. Seeing the mess he hollered, “What, are the two of you crazy? Look what you did. Oh man, Teddy is gonna freak. We gotta get this fixed. Dang, I gotta go to the bathroom. I'll be right back.”

Dancer hurried to the bathroom. As he reached the living room, he felt cold water squishing between his toes and under his feet. “What the heck is going on?” He sloshed into the bathroom. The big afghan was floating in water that was spilling over the sides of the tub. “Holy crap...oh, man.”

He ran back to the bedroom yelling, “What did you do? The tub is overflowing and there’s water all over the place.”

“Uh oh, Joey, we forgot to turn the water off.”

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Sixteen of the young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches" - NOW AVAILABLE

A sneak peek of chapter sixteen of The Priest and the Peaches - a young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Going to see Aunt Vera

“Okay, so I'm not allowed to call your house? Is this a joke? Are you kidding me? What’s going on, Sarah? What, have I turned into a demon or something?”

“Stop it, Teddy. I asked you to trust me. Do you think you can do that? I'll explain everything when I see you.”

He knew it was best to leave it alone. “Okay, Sarah. Talk to you tomorrow. I love you.”

“Yeah, Teddy, I know you do.” Click.

He stood there, holding the silent receiver, suddenly feeling lost and alone. He did not know what to think. Sarah was his refuge—she listened to him, she understood him. They were in love. They were going to get married. And she didn't say, “I love you” back. It was as if she had turned on him. He had tried his best to be a man for his family and show them that everything was under control and everything would be all right. Taking the grief, the embarrassments and the fears that bombarded him over the previous six days, he tried to stuff everything inside. But the simple click of the phone became his coup de grace. Alone in Celia's back room, he started bawling.

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Fifteen of the young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches" - NOW AVAILABLE

A sneak peek of chapter fifteen of The Priest and the Peaches - a young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"I have five orphans living above me"

Joanie came hurrying to the front door and as she got there, Dancer exited the bathroom. Joanie, seeing Miss Amon standing there, quickly put her arm around Joey's shoulder saying, “Teddy's not here Miss Amon. Can I help you with something?”

“Yes, I saw him on his way out. He ran right into me causing me to smash my head into the wall. He almost knocked me down. I was fortunate I didn’t have to be hospitalized. Thank God, Mr. Zimmerman came along. He saw the whole thing. In fact, it was he who helped me back to my apartment. Anyway enough about me, Joey told me that your lights and phone are...as he put it...broken. Is that correct?”

Dancer stepped in front of his sister. “None of your business. You just wait until my brother gets back if you want to talk to us. Right, Joanie?”

Miss Amon became angry. “That is no way to speak to a lady, young man. Where are your manners?”

“Yeah well, who said you’re a lady anyway?”

Joanie was aghast. She was still trying to process the incident with Teddy and Miss Amon and now Dancer told the woman that she was not a lady and to mind her own business. “Oh my God, Dancer. What's wrong with you? I'm so sorry, Miss Amon. Dancer, you apologize to Miss Amon right now.”

“You apologize, Joanie. I don't care. She doesn't like us. She’s trying to make trouble for us. I'm not apologizing to nobody. C'mon Joey, let's go see what Beeker is doing.”

Joanie was stunned and embarrassed by Dancer's behavior. No matter how right he was about the woman's motives, at 14, his behavior made him look like an ill-tempered juvenile delinquent. Joanie was frightened. Miss Amon never came to their door. Now in less than a week, she was there a second time. Teddy had slammed the door in her face ending her first visit. Now Dancer had insulted her. She was wishing that Teddy or Scratch would come walking up the stairs but that was not happening. Like it or not, she was in charge.

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Fourteen of the young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches" - NOW AVAILABLE

A sneak peek of chapter fourteen of The Priest and the Peaches - a young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN
"The keys are in Pops' leg"

Teddy headed to the back room to begin searching for the keys. His brief altercation with his brother made him momentarily forget about the box on the kitchen table. Teddy was surprised to see Joey sitting on the bed, legs crossed, hands folded, just doing nothing. “Oh hey, Joey. What's going on? You okay? Why are you back here all by
yourself?”

Joey looked sheepishly at his big brother. It was if he had done something wrong, but he hadn't. Teddy simply said, “Can you help me look for Pops' keys. They’re around here somewhere. We have to get the mail.”

Without hesitating, Joey said, “They're in Pops' leg.”

Teddy froze right where he was. He looked at little Joey wondering if he really heard what he thought he heard. “What? What did you say, Joey?”

“The keys are in Pops' leg. He put them in there when he went to the hospital.”

“Joanie, get back here. Hurry up.”

Joanie ran back to the room. “What? What's wrong?”

“Okay, get this. Joey just told me that the keys are in Pops' leg. This is getting weird. First the insurance, now this.”

“C'mon Teddy, how could they be in his leg? That's crazy.”

Joey got up on his knees and yelled at his sister, “It’s not crazy. Pops told me, and Pops isn’t crazy. You shouldn't say that Joanie. That's a bad thing to say.” Then he started crying.

“Oh my God, Joey, I didn't mean...okay, okay, stop crying. Just tell us when you talked to Pops?”

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Thirteen of the young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches" - NOW AVAILABLE

A sneak peek of chapter thirteen of The Priest and the Peaches - a young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"Pops' grand finale"

At nine thirty Mr. Kelly told the kids they should begin to say their goodbyes. The four of them walked up with Scratch. Beeker and Dancer went up to Pops together. Dancer's arm was around his brother's shoulder and they were both crying. Beeker reached into the casket touching Pops' hand while Dancer laid his free hand on Pops' chest. They stood together crying, their hands both seemingly frozen in place on their father. Their broken hearts were visible.

Teddy stepped up to them and guided them away placing his arms around each of them. Joanie, with Scratch at her side, went up to Pops kissing him on the forehead. She and Scratch stepped away and it was Teddy's turn. He was dreading this moment. He remembered kissing Mom on the forehead when he said goodbye to her and how cold and hard her forehead felt. He was so unnerved that he never forgot it. Nevertheless, he leaned forward, closed his eyes and kissed Pops on the forehead. Once again, that same cold, hardness greeted his lips. He stood, looked at his father's dead face and whispered, “Love you, Pops. I'm sorry about the other night. Say hi to Mom for me.”

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Teaser Tuesday - SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Twelve of the young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches" - NOW AVAILABLE

A sneak peek of chapter twelve of The Priest and the Peaches - a young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

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CHAPTER TWELVE
"I don't have any money"

Did you find any insurance papers?”

“This, here. But it says redeemed on it. What does that mean?”

“I'm not sure. Let me see.”

Joanie handed Teddy a clear plastic envelope filled with neatly folded papers. He removed the paperwork and unfolded it. There were six sheets and he slowly began to flip them over as he read through them. “Oh boy, Joanie. He cashed it in last September.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean this policy was worth $7,500, but he cashed it in. He redeemed it. I guess these things are worth some money before you die. He only got $156 for it. So, this policy is worthless. I don't even know why he kept it.”

“He must have needed the money pretty bad. That's sad. So, now what do we do?”

“Geez, Joanie, I don't know. This is all new to me. The one thing I do know is that I have to tell Mrs. Kelly. Dang, I have no idea what a funeral costs. And we're supposed to pay for it. I think I’m getting a knot in my stomach.”

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Eleven of the young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches" - NOW AVAILABLE

A sneak peek of chapter eleven of The Priest and the Peaches - a young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

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CHAPTER ELEVEN
Father KO's "Trumpet Man"

All things being equal, it seemed fitting that they had all come out to witness a man, obviously under the influence of something besides coffee, demanding to know where Esther was. “Esther? Esther, where you at, honey? C'mon, Esther. Stop fooling around.”

The guy was quite a sight. He was about 6’ 2” and very obese. He had a full beard, long stringy hair and of course, he was wearing a New Year's party hat. In his right hand was a tarnished trumpet. He obviously had some knowledge of the instrument because his left thumb and fingers were wrapped around the valve covers and his right three fingers were on the valve buttons. Scratch was making a futile attempt to reason with him. “C'mon, buddy. This is a funeral home. There’s no Esther here. You have the wrong place. You have to leave.”

Then Scratch put his hand on the man's arm in an attempt to lead him to the door. The man shoved Scratch turning belligerent. “Don't nobody touch me, man. I'll kick your ass.”

He immediately put the horn to his mouth and began to blow, creating a racket that quite possibly could have awoken Pops. Teddy felt a sudden rage swell up, and threw a punch at the guy. The way things had been going it was only fitting that he missed his target and hit Scratch square in his nose. Scratch put his hands to his face as blood started oozing through his fingers. Joanie started screaming. “He's bleeding! Stop it! Stop it!”

Father Sullivan hurried over and the man threw a punch at him, hitting him in the chest. Father staggered backwards into the wall. Joanie kept yelling while Dancer and Beeker tried to join the fray. The man was pushing everyone this way and that, swatting them away as if they were mosquitoes. His elbow connected with Beeker’s eye. Losing his balance, Beeker grabbed Dancer's shirt as they both fell down. It was a scene of utter chaos.

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Ten of the young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches" - NOW AVAILABLE

A sneak peek of chapter ten of The Priest and the Peaches - a young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

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CHAPTER TEN
L-Y-N

Father read the gospel in Latin at the altar and then walked to the pulpit looking out at everyone as he read it in English. When he had finished, he signaled for everyone to sit down. Looking out at the congregation, he began his sermon. “Two days ago, a dear friend of mine and a dear friend to many of you unexpectedly passed away. His five kids are sitting right here this morning in the first pew and many of you know them also. Velemer Peach, known to his kids as Pops and to his friends as Yimey, left his mark in the world simply because he did his best to help anyone who happened to come his way. Yimey had a little acronym he always used. I'm sure some of you know it. It was L-Y-N, and it stood for love your neighbor. Instead of saying hello or goodbye, Yimey would always say, ‘Hey Joe or Jan or whoever, L-Y-N.’ It was a beautiful thing. So, on this New Year's Day of 1966, in honor of Yimey, maybe we can truly start something new. I want you all to turn to each other right now, shake hands and say L-Y-N to each other.”

Somewhat taken aback by this unprecedented directive from the priest in the pulpit, the people in the pews began to squirm. It was amazing how people packed tightly together could still maintain their own personal space. Father Sullivan had asked them to step outside of it. It was unnerving. Father continued to encourage them, “C'mon folks, just shake hands with your neighbor and say L-Y-N. I promise, no one will bite you.”

There was muffled laughter that circulated throughout the church and then the people began saying L-Y-N to each other. When they were all facing front again and the rumble of the quiet L-Y-Ns had subsided, Father Sullivan simply said, “And there you have it. The golden rule as explained by Yimey. I hope and pray that you all remember it. God bless you all. Happy New Year and L-Y-N.”

As Father left the pulpit and walked back to the altar, a delayed reaction kicked in. Teddy started to quietly sob. Joanie followed and like dominoes, so did Dancer and Beeker. Joey did not know what was going on. People in the pews near them began to wipe their eyes and soon most of the congregation was doing the same. Father Sullivan's New Year's Day homily about Pops had taken two minutes and it was memorable for its brevity. It was beautiful in its simplicity. Years later, those who were there that morning still remembered it.

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

A "Bah-humbug" to all you anti-Christmas Grinches

Ebeneezer Scrooge harbored such contempt for Christmas that four separate ghosts had to appear to him and scare the bejeebers out of him before he would actually see the error of his ways and be able to smile and shout out, "MERRY CHRISTMAS". Unfortunately, for all those pseudo Ebeneezer Christmas haters who seem to grab so many headlines, like the idiot judge in Texas who threatened anyone saying the word "amen" at a school during the Christmas season with jail, there will be no ghosts appearing to them to set them straight. Alas, Dickens is dead. Too bad.

The proliferation of 24/7 news broadcasts, on-line publications, "You-tube" etc., seems to bring to the forefront all of these "offended" folks who mock Christmas, treat it with disdain and contempt, and try to have reference to it, celebration of it and reverence for it removed from every nook and cranny throughout the land. (But they do not have a problem staying home for the Holiday--well, Christmas is a national holiday, right). Now, the Congress of the United States of America, yes, our Congress, has been told that they are not allowed to put "Merry Christmas" on their correspondence. I'm getting a headache.

Here's the thing and this is not easy for me to do.  Suppose we dare to take the religious aspect out of Christmas. Jesus of Nazareth was a historical figure, right? He did not go to the university but He was a teacher. He was poor and certainly had no servants but they called Him Master. He was not a doctor but He was called Healer. King Herod was so afraid of Him that, when Jesus was only a baby,  he had thousands of innocent boys, two and under, executed in an attempt to kill Him. The only reason he failed was because Jesus' dad was able to smuggle his wife and son out of the country and into Egypt. Not bad for a guy about 18 or 19 years old with no money caring for a girl about 14 or 15 and a baby.

It took them about 33 years and then they finally did kill Jesus. Why? Because he had the temerity to speak of love and forgiveness. He certainly never hurt anyone. His crime was being kind, helping others and loving His fellow humans. What a "monster"!!

So, to all you anti-Christmas loonies who are so obsessed with stopping the celebration of a Man who simply represented love to ALL mankind---whatever is your problem? You don't have to be Christian if you don't want to be. Why can't you leave us (the VAST majority) alone. This has nothing to do with the First Amendment. This has to do with having a common respect for what others think and feel. I shall close with the most defiled word in use today:  WHATEVER

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Nine of the upcoming young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter nine of The Priest and the Peaches - an upcoming young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
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CHAPTER NINE
"What's a chastity belt?"

Teddy and Sarah sat next to each other on the sofa. Teddy pulled the big afghan up tucking it under their necks. The only light in the apartment came from the almost dead Christmas tree. Peace and tranquility settled upon them—a welcome reprieve from a day full of chaos and confusion. After a few quiet moments, Sarah said, “I am so glad I stayed with you.”

Teddy lifted his arm and put it around her. Pulling her close he said, “Me too. Are you, okay? I mean with the not going home thing.”

“No, not really. I know she'll try to lay all this guilt on me when I get home tomorrow and…oh, just let's forget it for now. Okay? Nothing has changed anyway. I'm used to it. Just hold me. Okay?”

The sudden quiet coupled with the dim lighting quickly joined forces with their fatigue and vulnerability creating the perfect moment—and just like that they were kissing each other. Slowly, softly, their lips moved back and forth, their youthful passion springing to life. Then an unexpected voice doused the erupting flames. “Hey, what are you doing?”

Surprised, they both turned their heads to see Beeker standing next to the sofa looking down at them. “Damn it, Beeker. What are you doing up?” Teddy asked, “You're supposed to be in bed.”

“I can't sleep. I'm not tired.”

Sarah straightened up and ran her hands down over the sides of her tussled hair. “Okay, Beeker, come sit between me and Teddy. It's okay.”

She pulled the afghan aside and Beeker plopped between them. Sarah tossed the blanket over him tucking it under his chin. “So, what were you doing?” he asked again.

“Nothing, Beeker, nothing,” Teddy said. “We were just giving each other a kiss. Is that okay with you?”

“Yes, Teddy. It's okay with me.” Beeker than giggled a bit and leaned his head next to Sarah's arm. Within a minute, he was fast asleep.

Sarah said quietly, “I think it might be a good thing he came in here.”

Teddy sighed, “I know, I know. Problem is, I don't think I cared. I didn’t want to stop. When I start kissing you and holding you…well…something happens and…you know what I mean.”

“Maybe my mother’s right. We could get into trouble. We have to avoid these kind of situations.”

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Eight of the upcoming young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter eight of The Priest and the Peaches - an upcoming young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
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CHAPTER EIGHT
The Floating Leg

As the leg kept floating, people began pushing back, creating an impromptu path leading to the casket. When the people closest to Teddy and Joanie separated, the mystery of the floating leg was revealed. Holding Pops' artificial leg high above his head was Dancer. His face was beet red from the cold. His shirt was torn from the breast pocket down to his belt buckle. He had a nasty scrape above his left eye, and the fingers on his right hand were covered in blood that had managed to spread to his shirt and trousers. He was quite a horrific sight. He was also quite angry as he said, “Look what I found out back. Can you believe it? It was out back against the dumpster. Good thing I went out there. Pops was supposed to be wearing this. They threw it away. They threw it in the garbage.”

“Oh my God,” Joanie said. “What happened to you? You're bleeding everywhere. What do you mean…out by the dumpster? I can't believe this. Oh my God, Teddy. Pops' leg was in the garbage.”

Teddy was stunned. Suddenly he felt overwhelmed and insecure. Up until this very moment, he had been trying to be the man in charge, and he thought he was wearing his new crown quite well. Looking at his bloodied brother with torn clothes and a bloody hand wrapped around his father's wooden leg was a bit much to mentally process. What am I supposed to do? I don't know what to do. Everyone expects me to take care of this. Pops could. The thoughts stopped and his mind went blank. An unnerving sense of loneliness embraced him. Teddy started to shake.

Joanie looked at her brother and his demeanor frightened her. “Teddy, what's wrong with you?”
He did not respond, so she raised her voice, “Teddy, do you hear me? Dancer has Pops' leg. TEDDY! Did you HEAR ME?”

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Seven of the upcoming young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter seven of The Priest and the Peaches - an upcoming young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
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CHAPTER SEVEN
"Yimey’s New Year’s Eve Jamboree"

The Peaches never imagined that an impromptu and quite unconventional party was about to begin at Kelly's Funeral Home. A steady cast of characters was about to descend for a mixture of odd, unforeseen and even outlandish farewells ultimately defining the man Pops had been—a man his kids really did not know. These people were Pops' friends from all over the neighborhood, a man they loved as Yimey—not Pops. If there was a marquee outside, it might have read, “Yimey's New Year's Eve Jamboree, Admission free—BYOB.”

The five kids only knew their father as Pops. Yimey, the man, they did not know. Teddy had started to get a glimpse into their father’s inner world, but that insight was halted in its tracks. Joanie, her maternal instincts jump-started at the age of 13, concerned herself with Pops' behavior and stayed on him about eating properly, getting more sleep, being home more, and cutting back on the cigarettes. The one thing she truly hated was the drinking and she was relentless in voicing her feelings about it. Pops would tell her, “Joanie, stop. You're my daughter, not my mother. Get off my back.” She never did, and he loved her for it. But of course, he never paid attention.

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Six of the upcoming young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter six of The Priest and the Peaches - an upcoming young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
Kindle ($2.99)
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER SIX
"God likes to laugh too"

Scratch started to laugh. He related how he and Teddy had been talking about Pops having a good laugh himself over his lost leg, and how the bony-faced receptionist had looked at them like they were nuts. Then Teddy started talking about how the leg had hit Scratch in the head before flipping into the front seat. Father Sullivan, laughing said, “Well, Scratch, at least it didn't kick you in the ass.”

Surprised at the priest’s colorful language, they all started laughing like crazy, even Joey, who knew all about that particular word. Intent on changing the subject, Father began, “Okay everyone, gather around and join hands.” Forming a circle, Father bowed his head as they all did the same. He began to pray, “Heavenly Father, these young people stand before you today somewhat confused and frightened…”

Beeker and Joey were still giggling. Father looked at them and said, “C'mon, boys. Stop laughing now. We're saying a prayer.”

Joey, a bit embarrassed, said, “You said ass.”

Joanie gasped, “JOEY, stop that right now.”

Father smiled, “No, Joanie. It's okay.” He put his hand on Joey's head and said to him, “Well now, Joey, I guess I did say that. We all just needed to laugh a little. That's why I said that. God understands. Believe it or not, God likes to laugh too.”

Wide-eyed, Beeker asked, “He does?”

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Five of the upcoming young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter five of The Priest and the Peaches - an upcoming young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
Kindle ($2.99)
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER FIVE
Back to the hospital

The few moments of lightheartedness ended abruptly as they walked into the hospital and approached the information desk. A thin woman with a long, bony face looked up from behind the counter. “Yes, may I help you?”

“Uh, yeah. We're looking for my father's leg.”

The woman's body froze and her eyes bulged out from behind her glasses. “Excuse me?” she asked.

Teddy started to wipe away some unexpected tears, and Scratch quickly intervened.

“I'm sorry, ma'am. His father died here the other night. Okay? He had an artificial leg and we think it was left here by mistake. We just want to get it so we can bring it to the funeral home.”

The lady breathed deeply and stared at the two young men as she processed what she had just heard. Then she replied, “Oh, I'm so sorry. Please, tell me the patient's name.”

Scratch answered, “Velemer Peach.”

“I beg your pardon.”

Scratch sighed, “Velemer. V-e-l-e-m-e-r. Peach. P-e-a-c-h. Okay?”

“Thank you.” She picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers. “Yes, this is the information desk. There is a Mr. Peach here and he is trying to locate an artificial leg that seems to have been misplaced.” There was a pause. “Yes, that's what I said. A leg. Could you come down here right away?” After another brief pause before she said, “Yes sir, I'll tell him.” She looked at Teddy and said, “Someone will be right over to see you.”

While they were waiting, Scratch said, “Hey, Teddy, do you think Pops is having fun with this leg thing?”

Teddy looked at him and slowly smiled. “Um, yeah, probably. No, definitely.”

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Four of the upcoming young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter four of The Priest and the Peaches - an upcoming young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
Kindle ($2.99)
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER FOUR
"How could they lose his leg?"

By 1965, most families had acquired telephones but the old tried and true method of intra-building communication in the Bronx was far from passe. After all, the phone company charged message units for every call. You certainly were not going to use the phone to call upstairs, downstairs or across the street. No way. You simply used the send & receive system. To send a message, you yelled out the window. To receive a message, you listened for the return yell. It was as simple as that. This extremely effective system even had a playback feature. If you did not understand the yell, you yelled back—“What?” The message would promptly be re-yelled by the sender.

Joanie went into the kitchen, opened the window, gulped in a big burst of frigid air, and turned her head up to yell, “Denis! Denis!”

A few seconds went by and the response came, “Yeah, what is it?”

“They lost Pops' leg. Teddy wants you to go with him and find it.”

There was a pause. Then a reverberating laughter filled the icy air. Joanie yelled, “You know what Scratch you're a big JERK.” Then she slammed the window shut.

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Three of the upcoming young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter three of The Priest and the Peaches - an upcoming young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
Kindle ($2.99)
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER THREE
"Now we're orphans, right?"

Teddy saw everyone at once and immediately started to cry. He did not even realize that it was Sarah who had gotten up and was standing there hugging him. His tears were contagious and within seconds the somber room was filled with crying young people. Sarah hugged Teddy for about 15 seconds then moved back and held his face in her hands. She wiped away his tears with her thumbs and stared into his eyes. “Teddy, listen to me,” she said. “They need you to be strong. Okay? They need you to be in charge. They're all scared, even Joanie. They think they’re all going to end up alone. So, right now, try to be strong.”

He took a breath and looked down at her. “Alone? That's ridiculous. Me and Joanie are here and you…”

“Look, you are all in this together and have to survive it together. They just need some reassurances from you that everything will be all right and that they are safe. Understand?”

The magnitude of the situation was starting to hit Teddy right between the eyes. At 18 years old, he was quickly feeling alone and overwhelmed. Looking at Joey and Beeker, he suddenly realized how young they were. Dancer was only in eighth grade. I'm only four years older than Dancer. Beeker and Joey…dang, this is messed up. Okay, be strong, whatever that means… Then he heard a small voice that had been calling his name, “Teddy…Teddy?”

He turned to his right and saw Joey. Teddy rubbed the palms of his hands across his eyes wiping them dry. “Yeah, Joey? What is it?”

Joey, still sitting on Joanie's lap, had his head pressed back into her chest. His wide-open eyes overwhelmed his little face. He seemed to be slightly rocking back and forth with the top of his head staying right under her chin. Sniffles punctuated every third or fourth tear. He was frightened, all right. No doubt about it. He did not understand. He wanted all this talk about Pops being dead to stop. It wasn’t funny. He wanted him to come home. It had to be a mistake. Why, Pops had even promised that, no matter what, he was going to let him watch the ball drop at Times Square at midnight. Well, tomorrow was New Year's Eve. Pops had promised. He was positive he would be coming home any minute. They were all stupid. “Are you bringing Pops home later?”

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Two of the upcoming young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter two of The Priest and the Peaches - an upcoming young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
Kindle ($2.99)
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER TWO
"Before"

“What's wrong with me? What's WRONG with me? I'll tell you what's wrong with me—that mean old lady in the other room. That's what's wrong with me. And nobody cares, nobody, not Pops, not you, not anyone. She’s so mean to me. I hate her. I swear—I hate her. And now I'm going to hell because I hate my own grandmother.”

Teddy fumbled around inside himself trying to find something to say. His 15-year-old wisdom was still in the early developmental stages so all he could come up with was, “Hate her? Going to hell? That's ridiculous. I don't think…”

She cut him off and began to ramble, “Ridiculous! I'll tell you what's ridiculous. The fact that you and Pops don't have any idea what’s going on around here. That's ridiculous. She's gone crazy. Half of the time she thinks I'm Mom and calls me Elizabeth. Then she's nice. Then, all of a sudden, I'm Joanie and I'm scrubbing the woodwork again and, then I'm not doing it right and have to do it over. Sure Teddy, you are absolutely right. You don't think. The ceiling could fall down and you wouldn't think. Pops is never home. She hates him and is always saying mean things to him. So he stays away. LUCKY him. She tells the boys how rotten he is and tells them that he killed their mother…”

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter One of "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter one of The Priest and the Peaches by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
Kindle ($2.99)
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER ONE
"If only I had—"

Pops said nothing. Besides pain and fear, there was a resolute sadness etched into his face. It frightened Teddy, although he did not understand it. Their eyes locked, blue on blue, father and son, sharing what would turn out to be their final moment together. Teddy thought he noticed a solitary tear drip from Pops' eye and slowly roll down onto the pillow. Still, he remained by the door. He broke the silence saying, “Okay Pops, I gotta get home. See you tomorrow.” As he turned and headed to the elevator, Pops raised his hand and held up his thumb and pinky finger, but Teddy did not notice.

Walking away from the hospital, Teddy briefly stopped, turned and looked up at the third floor. He located the window of Pops' room and stared at it. Whispering, “I love you, Pops,” he began to cry. He knew he should go back, but he didn't. That decision would transpose into a lifelong, heartbreaking memory transfixed around the words—if only I had… Sometimes, you just don't get a second chance.

Ever Wonder about a "Partridge in a Pear Tree, and so on"?

A bit of Christmas History

Did you ever wonder (like me)---What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

Well now, here is one version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" 

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.-

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history "folklore" for today....  maybe it is true, maybe not---for me, well, It is the Christmas season so it works for me----

Merry Christmas

Pretty Opinionated review

Pretty Opinionated
November 30, 2011

Book Review: Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes
by Nicole

Title: Slippery Willie’s Stupid, Ugly Shoes
Author: Larry Peterson
Publisher: TB Press

Image is often everything to a kid. Jacob was concerned about what others thought of him when he was only about 4 years old, and it just gets harder as he gets older. I try to tell him that it doesn’t matter what others think of him, that he should just be himself, but I don’t really remember that whole logic working on me when I was his age. Willie, the main character in Larry Peterson’s Slippery Willie’s Stupid, Ugly Shoes has a big problem. Well, two, actually. First, his feet are so slippery that he can’t keep any shoes on them. Poor Willie couldn’t climb trees or play with his friends without sliding all over the place. Fortunately, there is a solution. Unfortunately, that solution is the other problem. Since Willie’s feet are so slippery, he needs a very special pair of shoes, and they’re not exactly normal-looking sneakers.

Willie absolutely does not want to wear the shoes. He thinks everyone will make fun of him. In fact, he gets so worked up about it that he dreams everyone in town is laughing at him. They laugh so hard that catastrophe strikes- cars crash, planes fall out of the sky, and mayhem ensues. All because of his stupid, ugly shoes. Of course, in reality, his shoes are not nearly as bad as he thinks they are, and all of this friends end up thinking they’re super cool. Willie has a great day at school, and at the end of the day he takes off his shoes and lets himself slip around, because even though the shoes help him have a “normal” day, he still needs to be himself sometimes, slippery feet and all.

Slippery Willie’s Stupid, Ugly Shoes is a funny and entertaining book for kids of all ages. The lessons are obvious, but presented in a way to which children can relate. The story teaches children that everyone is different, but those differences do not define who they are. It also teaches them that sometimes we make a bigger deal about things in our heads than they are in real life. I do this all the time. I always think of the worst case scenario and get all worked up about something, when in reality, it turns out to not be a big deal. It’s kind of too late for me (although I am working on my issues), but since Jake is just like me, I’m really trying to head off the problem before it gets out of control with him. Since he is a big reader, books like Slippery Willie’s Stupid, Ugly Shoes really help.