More answers from Larry

What inspired you to write The Priest and The Peaches?
My sister, brothers and I did lose our parents when we were quite young. I never planned to write about it but then our brother, Bobby, died suddenly in 2007. After the funeral we were all hanging out at a local pub reminiscing about the “good ol’ days.” We wound up having such a great time telling stories about what had went on so many years before. Laughter ruled and it was, to me, a beautiful thing. Anyway, I guess when I was driving home to Florida from NY the idea for the book began to develop. Please remember that the book is a work of fiction as many of the characters and incidents are fictional.

Are there any more in the series, if so how many?
Yes. I have begun work on the sequel to The Priest and The Peaches. How many might be in the series? Don’t have a clue. The more you think and the more you write the more things begin to happen. So, who knows.

If so, have you planned the entire storyline, and do you know how it’s going to end?
Actually, it is like driving down a winding road. You see the road in front of you but you cannot see round the bend. You know that something is around the bend but you are not sure exactly what. But you do have a picture in mind of what the final destination will look like. Depending on where the winding road leads you that picture might prove to be something you never expected. So–no, I do not know how it will end.

Was there any particular scene/chapter that was your favorite to write?
I think the scene between Father Sullivan and Beatrice Amon when Beatrice opens up and reveals where she was when she was four years old. Then Father Sullivan shares something deeply personal about himself with her. As I was writing that scene I actually teared up and could not believe I was reacting that way.

Which books are you reading right now?
You may find this weird but I just finished two short stories: one was “The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving. This was written somewhere around 1830 (I’m not sure) and I love to read the different words that they used back then like “Treacle” is molasses and “choleric” for grouchy. Then there was “The Gold Bug” by Edgar Allan Poe. This story is a massive riddle and Poe, who loved cryptographs, really runs with this. Truthfully, I do not understand the puzzle in the story but it can be fascinating to see how these old masters spun a yarn.

What’s next on the agenda?
Like I just mentioned, I have started the sequel to The Priest and The Peaches. One thing at a time for me.

Tell us one thing about Larry Peterson that we won’t be able to find on the Internet?
Okay—I come from a tough, blue-collar background but that never altered the fact that I get choked up and cry at many a movie. I watched “The Locket” the other evening and sure enough, when the movie ended I needed a couple of paper towels. Tissues were too small.