Author Davis Aujourd' Hui

Diversity Rules Magazine "Babes In Bucksnort" By Author Davis Aujourd'hui

2011-12-04T08:08:00.001-08:00

Article appears in "Diversity Rules Magazine" December 2011

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"

The 2nd book is:
"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 NewYork 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.

Visit this blog for information on the series:
http://bestsatireseriesofthedecade.blogspot.com

Visit this blog for information on the author:
http://authordavisaujourdhui.blogspot.com

"Babes in Bucksnort" is the sequel to "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude".

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 “thegay 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. David’s blog is
at: http://bestsatireseriesofthedecade.blogspot.com.

Did you know that you do not have to own a Kindle Machine to read a book in Kindle Format"?

2011-11-16T18:06:00.001-08:00

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"

In Kindle Format for $3.99 Purchase Here!!!!!!

"Babes in Bucksnort"

In Kindle Format for $3.99 Purchase Here!

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AN EXCERPT FROM "The MISADVENTURES of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"

2011-11-03T08:04:00.001-07:00

Speaking of looking up, that brings me to the subject of Sister Samantha's secret. Lord, have mercy! Well now! I was extremely thirsty following my most recent week of penance on my knees in my humble little cell; so, I'd made a hasty visit to Randy Cowboy who was generous enough to give me a half gallon of Jack Daniel's.

I threw caution to the wind and I ducked into cubicle number four where I began to have a few nips. Oh, I must confess the truth. I tied one on! By the time I'd passed out, I'd managed to refresh myself with almost half of that big bottle. Oh my!

Sometime during the night, I must have slipped off the toilet and landed on the floor. I didn't wake up until the following morning; and, I must say, I had quite a headache! I also realized that I had partially slid under cubicle number three; and, I couldn't get up.

Well, wouldn't you know it, the restroom door burst open and I immediately thought that the gig was up. With my luck, I thought that it might be Mother Carmen and that I'd be sent back to my cell for another week of solitary confinement.

Fortunately, God spared me that ordeal and He had sent me an angel. It was Sister Samantha. Of course, I didn't find that out immediately. Let's just say that we both had a big surprise in store!

Well! There I was, with my head under cubicle number three, when I heard Sister Samantha singing Amazing Grace as she entered that very cubicle! Apparently, she was so moved by the Holy Spirit that she didn't even notice my head facing up toward her toilet.

I closed my eyes in reverent prayer just as she was lowering her panties. As she was preparing to sit upon her throne, her habit swished over my face which brought me to attention. I opened my eyes by reflex. Boy, did I get an eyeful and I do mean boy! Sister Samantha wasn't a woman! Lord, have mercy!

Well! It was a rather awkward situation to say the least! I had learned of Sister Samantha's incredible secret. I also needed her help. What could I do, but gently murmur, “Please help me, Sister. I've fallen and I can't get up.”

Let me tell you, Sister Samantha might not have been a woman, but she let out a high-pitched scream that sounded like a woman giving birth. She jumped off her pot and she whooshed her habit off my pleading face. If anyone else could have seen us at that very moment, I'm sure that both of our faces would have appeared beet red.

Well! If either of us had had a blackmailing bone in our bodies, we both would have had sufficient ammunition to use against the other. Suffice it to say, each of us took a higher path except Sister Samantha had the higher advantage at that moment.

Well, that little woman proved to be very strong. She grabbed me under my arms. Then she pulled me right under the partition of cubicle number three and out onto the restroom floor.

Even though I was feeling very shaky, in more ways than one, I managed to get myself up and onto my wobbly legs. Well, what could I say besides, “Thank you;” however, given the situation, it seemed that something else might be in order.

I felt rather like Little Red Riding Hood when she discovered that her grandmama was actually a wolf. The nice thing about my situation was that Sister Samantha wasn't about to eat me up. I decided right then and there that I wasn't going to give her up.

“Sister,” I said. “How did you ever pull it off?”

That's when she told me her story. You see, Sister Samantha just happened to have been born in the wrong body. She was really every bit as much of a woman as myself with one notable exception. God sure works in mysterious ways!

Sister Samantha was the most beautiful child. She was christened “Bobby O'Reilly” and she was her mother's only son. As it had turned out, he was her only daughter too.

Mother and child lived with Bobby's grandmother on the family farm. He was conceived on Christmas Eve and he was born on the harvest moon of the following year. It was a fruitful harvest, in more ways than one! He was his mother's pride and joy as well as being the favorite grandchild of his elderly grandmother. Little Samantha or, should I say, little Bobby was a perfect angel.

On his first day of school, his mother dressed him up in knickers and she sent him off to the Baptist academy in his hometown which was located in a little parish similar to our own. When he returned from school, both his mother and grandmother were in for a big surprise.

Little Bobby had discovered the academy's Good Will clothes closet and he had decided to change his outfit. When he returned to his grandmother's farm, he was wearing a dress, high heels, and he had braided his long locks into a perfect French braid.

Grandma O'Reilly chastened her daughter by exclaiming, “Whatever possessed you to send Bobby to school like that?”

Bobby's dumbfounded mother simply stared at her son and said, “I didn't!”

That was just the beginning. By the time Bobby was in high school, he had run off to the big city and he had started living as a woman. He had the most gorgeous natural female breasts and he began to receive hormone shots that made him the envy of the big city drag queens.

He named himself Samantha Monet and he decided to seek fame and fortune as a female impersonator. With his new female voice, he could hit a high C and he was soon performing in the big city clubs and making big money.

One of his favorite routines involved him dressing as a nun. It only seemed fitting since he had converted to Catholicism and he had decided that, once he'd had a taste of the world, he was going to become a nun. Sister Samantha was a smashing success as she wooed the crowds with her renditions of religious songs that soon won converts to her beloved Savior.

Sister Samantha was planning on having a sex change, but a part of her believed she was born in a man's body to teach the world a lesson in tolerance of those who are different from others. Well! Sister Samantha had already taught me a lesson!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" is available in Paperback for $13.95 HERE!!!!

Kindle Version is $3.99 and can be purchased HERE!!!

EXCERPT FROM BABES IN BUCKSNORT

2011-11-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wally Wacky-Wacko had the unfortunate habit of not keeping good track of his appointments. He didn't have a secretary and the truth of the matter was that he couldn't very well afford one. He didn't exactly have a thriving practice.

Dr. Wally had just finished eating a very potent marijuana brownie for breakfast when the doorbell rang. He didn't have a clue as to who would be calling on him on his day off. He exclaimed out loud to himself, “Whoa! I'd better get my act together!” Then he went to answer the door.

When he opened the door, there before him stood Sister Eileen and Sister Samantha. His eyes bugged out from behind his gold-rimmed granny glasses when he saw them standing there in their black habits. That's when he exclaimed, “What a rush!”

Now! Sister Samantha was rather worldly from her former days, having lived in a gay man's world where she'd been a successful female impersonator. She knew exactly what Dr. Wally had been up to, but she chose to respond by saying, “Yes indeed! We need help immediately!”

The middle-aged man who still looked like a little boy had eyes as big as saucers. He was dressed in faded blue jeans and a fraying plaid flannel shirt. He simply stood before them in a confused daze. He grabbed onto his long, curly, salt and pepper hair that was tied back in a ponytail. For a moment he just stared at them as if he was going to say, “Duh.” Then he took a dizzying step backward as he said, “Ah yes! Won't you come in?”

They entered his home and they followed him into his office which looked as if it hadn't been dusted in two months. His desk was buried beneath piles of paper. The same was the case with a long black leather couch which lay beside a bookshelf that appeared as if it could topple over at any moment. If that would have become the case, it would have pulled down a network of cobwebs just before it would have soundly squished Sister Eileen if she was to have lain upon it.

Dr. Wally just stood in the middle of the room as if he was spellbound. Then he went to the couch and he unceremoniously swept the stacks of paper onto the floor. Finally he turned and gave them an impish smile as he said, “I'm not used to treating two people at the same time. I'm afraid that you'll just have to lie side by side.”

Now Sister Samantha wasn't one to mince words. She declared, “Are you out of your mind? Nuns aren't allowed to lie down together! God only knows where that could lead us! Besides, I'm not the one who needs help! I'll just sit in a chair.”

Then Sister Samantha strolled over to a nearby seat where she picked up a pile of papers. She set them down on the floor as a cloud of dust whirled out of that pile, nearly choking her in the process. As Sister Samantha took her seat, Sister Eileen tried to make her way over the disarray of papers beside the couch without falling. Then she lay down while the doctor sat behind his cluttered desk where he tried to peer at her over the piles of paper that were on it.

“So,” he began. “Just exactly what is the problem?”

Poor Sister Eileen couldn't even see the doctor so Sister Samantha decided to take the bull by the horns. She said, “Sister Eileen hasn't been herself lately. The poor woman can barely put a sentence together and, when she does, she only begins to cry.”

“Ah!” exclaimed the doctor. “I know exactly what to do!” With that said, he fumbled around within his desk drawer and he pulled out three bottles. Then he emptied the contents onto his desk whereupon half of the pills fell onto the floor. “Oops!” he said. Bending over, he picked up the pills one at a time. All the while, each and every one of those pills seemed to mesmerize him. Finally he was ready to continue. “Okay,” he said as he began to pile the pills into an empty bottle. “I want you to take each of these pills three times a day. You should be back to yourself in no time!”

“But doctor,” interjected Sister Samantha. “How's she going to be able to tell the pills apart if they're all in the same bottle?”

“Oh, that's easy,” replied the doctor who held up the bottle for Sister Samantha's inspection. “Each of the pills is a different color.” Then he smiled to himself as he continued to stare at the pills before he exclaimed, “Aren't they beautiful!” Sister Samantha simply rolled her eyes.

Now it was time to go. Poor Sister Eileen struggled to get off the couch while Sister Samantha reached for the bottle. As they made their way out of the shamble of the doctor's office, he opened another desk drawer. With a big smile of anticipation upon his face he pulled out another brownie. He'd need to calm his nerves in case another patient showed up later that day.

When the next evening rolled around, I wondered where Sister Eileen could have been. Randy Cowboy had already dished us up steaming bowls of stew and she was nowhere to be seen. Then I noticed the good sister staggering into the room. Her eyes looked like a couple of glazed donuts while she headed for her seat as if she was sleepwalking. I raised my eyebrows as she took her seat. She nearly fell right off it and onto the floor.

The blessing was offered and I began to eat, but I rarely took my eyes off Sister Eileen. She dumbly tried to raise each spoonful of stew into her mouth, but every second spoonful hit her chin where it dribbled down onto her habit. As I continued to watch, her eyes began to close. That's when I was about to witness the final effects of Dr. Wally's pills. Her head began to slowly circle and, just as she had completed the first full revolution, her face went kerplunk right into her steaming bowl.

I raced from my seat and I pulled her head out of the stew. She had a carrot firmly wedged into one of her nostrils and her mouth had a potato stuffed into it. Enough was enough! It was time for action and this time I would be the one who would accompany her to the good doctor.

The following day I arrived on Dr. Wally's doorstep with a blister-faced Sister Eileen. When the doctor finally answered the door, he took one look at Sister Eileen and he said, “Whoa!”

“Exactly!” I declared. “And the woe shall be unto you if you don't give this sister the right pill!”
“Oh!” he said with eyeballs that were nearly popping out of his head. “Maybe she would like a pretty pink pill. I call it a happy pill.”

I gave him a questioning look before I replied, “That's what we sent her here for the first time. Now just give us the pill and we'll be on our way!”

Well! It wasn't long before Sister Eileen would be swinging from the rafters. She soon announced that she was the Virgin Mary, come down from heaven in order to save the heathens. It was time to go back to Dr. Wally Wacky-Wacko again. That's when Dr. Wally decided that poor Sister Eileen was a manic-depressive and he put her on yet another medication. Shrinkaholics! What would be next?

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

"Babes in Bucksnort" is available in Paperback for $13.95 and can be purchased here!!!
Also, available in Kindle Format for $3.99 and can be purchased here!!!!!

FAITH IS THE ANSWER

2011-10-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

There have been so many times in my life when I have been stuck in a cloud of doubt and despair. The conditions of my life have been such that I have often not been able to see my way through. I have struggled when what I really needed to do was to just let go.

The beauty of my unfolding life is that I have discovered I am not alone. So many people I have since encountered have shared a similar experience. Yet they have found a way out of it. They have discovered that faith is the answer. I have also discovered that for myself.

I have had to let go of my fears and embrace a belief in the power in the universe that can and does guide me to a higher place. My own fragile ego has thought it could handle impossible situations. That has never been enough. In fact, it has often led me astray. I have had to learn to trust in the spirit that resides within us all. That spirit can always provide the answer.

It has been a matter of learning to trust in that Source. It has been a matter of turning to it and asking what I can do to prevail. I have had to turn to it for guidance to show me the way to go. As the website, The Divine Speaks, says: I have had to ask where I should go, what I should do, who I should talk to, and what I should say. In so doing, it has taken a tremendous burden off me.

Like a little child, I have had to believe that I can never be guided wrong if I go within to find the answers. This has required me to place my faith in that power greater than myself. By relaxing, breathing, and letting go of my worries, I have been able to see clearly what is mine to do. The rest I have had to turn over to Source to provide the outcome.

It has not always been what I had hoped for. That is the mystery of life. My ego likes to project what the outcome will be. The truth is that my ego doesn't know what best serves my spirit. I am on a journey of discovery that has often led me to unexpected places.

Such has been the case with my writing. I had never expected to be an author. Yet now, I have written a total of thirteen books, two of which have been published. That has been an unexpected miracle in my life. It was the outcome of me asking Source what my life purpose was.

As a young man, I was concerned with being a successful businessman. I wanted to become a millionaire before I was thirty. As I matured, I have learned to become more concerned about my fellow man and woman. I have become a person who has learned to look beyond selfish desires. This has become my primary quest in my writing. I am on a mission to wake up people to their own spirits.

The way I am striving to do this is to show people that joy is the pathway to freedom. My books are designed to make people laugh. They are also designed to make people take a look at themselves and to see how they can become aligned with their intrinsic values. In so doing, they will have the ability to let go of those negative qualities we all possess in order to follow a more positive path.

My character, Sister Mary Olga Fortitude, asks people to follow the Golden Rule: to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This, in and of itself, is an act of trust and faith. It requires searching within for the answers. Try it. Perhaps you will find the same freedom I have found for myself. That is my wish for each and every one of you.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Happy Halloween From Author Davis Aujourd'hui

2011-10-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

Cooking up Some Soup! Do you want a Batch for Yourself?

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

The Hot Author Report - Interview with Author Davis Aujourd'hui

2011-10-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

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.

Q: What compelled you to write your first book?

A: Years ago, I called up a friend’s voice mail on a whim and I spontaneously left her an outrageously funny message from a character named Sister Mary Olga Fortitude. My friend loved it and that inspired me to continue to develop characters and to leave her continuing voice mails. Years later, I thought to myself that I could write a book about these delightfully zany characters. This book is the end result, though it is only the first book of many in a series.

Q: Tell us briefly about your book.

Sister Mary Olga is a bourbon-swilling, chain-smoking nun who’s always getting into trouble with the Reverend Mother, a reformed prostitute. The convent’s chef is a gay cowboy. Just watch out for the nasty town busybody named Priscilla Bunhead who is always digging in the dirt. There’s plenty of that for her to find on Dinkledorf Drive in the fictional town of Bucksnort, Wisconsin. There’s a lot of hanky panky going on there!

All of the book’s other diverse and zany characters are delightfully flawed, The scenarios are outrageous. You’ll discover the secret of a transgendered nun under the most unlikely circumstances. You may have never discovered a body in the process of cremation as you tried to bake a cake or bore offspring who made inappropriate digestive noises while playing Baby Jesus in the annual Christmas pageant. Yet you will be able to relate to the human foibles discussed by Sister Mary Olga.

Sister Mary Olga takes the attitude of “to each one’s own.” She pokes fun at the conservative religious and social attitudes of the day. Irreverent and bawdy, this religious satire does have an underlying spiritual message; that is to lighten up and not take life so seriously.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I’m editing the other books in my series so that they will be well-polished gems just like this first book. I am also in the process of writing the twelfth book in the series and I am trying to get my third book published.

Q: Do you have a favorite character? Why is s/he your favorite?

A: That’s a difficult question to answer. I love all of my characters, especially the nasty ones who make for the delicious conflict within my books. If I had to pick one, it would have to be Sister Mary Olga. She is irreverent just like me. She also faces some challenges similar to my own and she channels spiritual truths that I have come to embrace.

Sister Mary Olga narrates the story and does so with hilarious humor. She is a fresh voice for our times or coming to terms with our spirits. I love the way she mixes humor with nuggets of wisdom. I am grateful that my fans have given me mostly five out of five star reviews. They obviously embrace her.

Q: The main characters of your stories – do you find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them to be completely different from you?

A: There is a little bit of me in all of my characters. I have already addressed that regarding Sister Mary Olga. Randy Cowboy, the gay chef and self-described sex maniac is much like me. I, too, am gay and have had to face my own sexual addiction from which I am recovering.

Since I have had to face my own dark sides, I can also relate to the prudish and judgmental Priscilla Bunhead. She wears her hair in a tight little bun. I maintain it is so tight that she can’t open her mind. That was a past challenge of my own.

I am also dignified like the eighty year-old Jules Jesslike Pappas. That dear man obtained his name from his simple-minded mother. On the night he was conceived, she had sex with men of two different races. Nine months later, she gave birth to twins of two different races. Jules came out black.

When the nurse held up the baby with the large endowment, his mother took one look at him and thought of his father. That’s when she blurted out, “Jewels just like papa’s.” That’s how he obtained his unusual name.

Q: Is there an established writer you admire and emulate in your own writing?

A: My writing is much like the zany writing of Armistead Maupin. I, like him, have developed a series of books that are based upon the continuing antics of my characters. I greatly admire the man and have faith that my series will be as successful as his.

Q: What about now: who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?

A: I have several favorite writers who write in the spiritual genre. This is the primary genre in which I read. Some of these authors would be Anthony DeMello, Eckhardt Tolle, Deepak Chopra, and Wayne Dyer.

Q: When they write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your book/s and writing? What do you hope they will say about you?

A: I hope they will say that I am a person who has come to embrace spiritual truths. I hope they will say I have fostered the spiritual development of the humans while making them wake up to their own spirits. I hope they will say I have done so by making people laugh at themselves and my hilariously funny books.

Q: Is there anything you’d go back and do differently now that you have been published, in regards to your writing career?

A: There is not a thing I would do differently. I believe that everything happens for a reason; that I have written books that speak to the truth of the times. My only regret, if I could pick one, is that I was not patient enough to wait for a traditional publisher to pick up my books. That has created an enormous challenge for me in terms of marketing my books and getting the word out that a delightful series is out there for people to enjoy.

Q: In my experience, some things come quite easily (like creating the setting) and other things aren’t so easy (like deciding on a title). What comes easily to you and what do you find more difficult?

A: Everything about my writing has come easily. It just flows as I allow inspiration to lead me in developing my books. What has been most difficult has been to market my books.

Q: Have you ever had a character take over a story and move it in a different direction than you had originally intended? How did you handle it?

A: Sister Mary Olga takes over the story from beginning to end. That is only natural since she is the main character. As my series moves along, many other characters try to take the lead. I have to rein some of them in so that Sister Mary Olga Fortitude can get out my primary message; that is to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The challenge is to rise above our human imperfectness as we seek to discover the perfection of our spirits.

Use this space to tell us more about who you. Anything you want your readers to know. Include information on where to find your books, any blogs you may have, or how a reader can learn more about you and writing.

Davis Aujourd’hui is my pen name for the Sister Mary Olga Fortitude series. The first book, entitled “The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude,” was published in October 2008 by Outskirts Press. That was followed by “Babes in Bucksnort” in 2010. I have already completed eleven other books in the series and I plan to keep them coming!

I am a new author, yet I possess a rich life experience that has enabled me to draw from it in order to create a colorful canvas upon which to paint very human lives. I am a former social worker, having worked for Adult Protective Services in New York State for many years. I developed the characters within my series of books in order to entertain a colleague of mine using the gift of humor.

As will be the case with Sister Mary Olga in my third 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 can speak from my own experience. I have possessed all of the foibles of my cast of characters who are naughty, nasty, and nice.

I live in Upstate New York where I am currently sharing my life with mypartner of seven years. We are both socially-minded and our spirituality is the most important ingredient in order for us to be able maintain a happy and successful life. We belong to a transdenominational church which embraces the sacred truths of all religions, especially the teachings of Jesus. This has been a natural outcome from my lifetime search for the meaning of God. It embraces my belief that all people are equally loved in God’s eyes.

My readers can find out more about what my series are about by visiting my blog:
http://bestsatireseriesofthedecade.blogspot.com/

They can also find out more about me and my life challenges by visiting my author blog:
http://authordavisaujourdhui.blogspot.com/

The best place to find my books are at Amazon.com. Here are the links for the first two books in the series:

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"

"Babes in Bucksnort"

Both of Author davis'Aujourd'hui's Works are available in both Paperback and Kindle Versions.

Be Sure to come and follow Author Davis Aujourd'hui on FACEBOOK!

Davis Aujourd’Hui author Of The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude: aWriter’sWords

2011-10-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

JV RADIO PICTURES
Posted on October 24, 2011 by valentinetti

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 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 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 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.

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.

The title of your current book?
"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"

Give a brief synopsis.
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, one’s 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.

Give us an excerpt.
Speaking of looking up, that brings me to the subject of Sister Samantha’s secret. Lord, have mercy! Well now! I was extremely thirsty following my most recent week of penance on my knees in my humble little cell; so, I’d made a hasty visit to Randy Cowboy who was generous enough to give me a half gallon of Jack Daniel’s.

I threw caution to the wind and I ducked into cubicle number four where I began to have a few nips. Oh, I must confess the truth. I tied one on! By the time I’d passed out, I’d managed to refresh myself with almost half of that big bottle. Oh my!

Sometime during the night, I must have slipped off the toilet and landed on the floor. I didn’t wake up until the following morning; and, I must say, I had quite a headache! I also realized that I had partially slid under cubicle number three; and, I couldn’t get up.

Well, wouldn’t you know it, the restroom door burst open and I immediately thought that the gig was up. With my luck, I thought that it might be Mother Carmen and that I’d be sent back to my cell for another week of solitary confinement.

Fortunately, God spared me that ordeal and He had sent me an angel. It was Sister Samantha. Of course, I didn’t find that out immediately. Let’s just say that we both had a big surprise in store!

Well! There I was, with my head under cubicle number three, when I heard Sister Samantha singing Amazing Grace as she entered that very cubicle! Apparently she was so moved by the Holy Spirit that she didn’t even notice my head facing up toward her toilet.

I closed my eyes in reverent prayer just as she was lowering her panties. As she was preparing to sit upon her throne, her habit swished over my face which brought me to attention. I opened my eyes by reflex. Boy, did I get an eyeful and I do mean boy! Sister Samantha wasn’t a woman! Lord, have mercy!

Biography of Davis Aujourd’hui (David Cowery).
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.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

"The Misadvantures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" Paperback $13.95 and can be purchased here!!!!! Kindle Version available for $3.99 and can be purchased here!!!!!

"Babes in Bucksnort" Paperback $13.95 and can be purchased here!!! Kindle Version available for $3.99 and can be purchased here!!

THANK GOD FOR HUMOR! Part 2

2011-10-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well, you already know what used to be some of my deepest and darkest secrets. By sharing them with you, I am letting go of my shame. They also can't be used as weapons against me since I've already put them out there. That's putting my secrets into the light. Now, the question is, “How did I manage to find a way to lighten up myself?”

That's a good question! I've already talked about taking a self-inventory. That's the fourth step in a twelve-step program - “We took a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” Once I was able to look at my flaws and my assets of character, I was able to appreciate that I have been simply human. What I now need to do is to be responsible for my life. My number one responsibility is for maintaining my own personal happiness. No one or nothing can do that for me except myself. The same is true for any of us.

What's helped me has been to talk to another human being with whom I can trust my conflicts. If they can relate, they can help me put things into perspective. Before long, I feel lighter. Then I'm able to look at something like the fight I may have had with my partner and realize how ridiculous my part in it had been. I had been only getting hung up in my own shit again. Talk about insanity!

Think about all of those times when you were convinced that you were right about something. Just remember, depending on who else was involved, there are always that many different perspectives of a given situation. Isn't it more freeing to leave everyone to their own opinions and not always need to be right? That's a form of letting go. It's also a spiritual principle that will help you maintain your joy.

How about looking back upon those occasions when you developed a resentment and look at your part in it. Did you feel like a victim and then become angry and self-righteous? God knows how many times I have done that in my past!

As I've said in “I am my characters,” my characters are based upon those aspects of light and darkness within myself and what I've observed within others. The problem is that, when I focus on other people's shortcomings, I am making a negative judgment. As I've said before, I am also looking at something with which I need to look at within myself.

As I've created my characters and their exaggerated character defects, I am hoping that you will begin to see where you have possessed some of these same attributes yourself. If you can laugh at my characters' antics, you should have the capacity to laugh at your own. That will be your pathway to freedom. It will be your pathway back to your joy.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" (book 1)
Paperback Edition $13.95 Purchase Here!
Kindle Version $3.99 Purchase Here!

"Babes in Bucksnort" (book 2)
Paperback Edition $13.95 Purchase Here!
Kindle Version $3.99 Purchase Here!

We all Need Some Humor in our Lives! I hope you enjoy!

THANK GOD FOR HUMOR! Part 1

2011-10-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

Where would we be if we couldn't laugh in this world that is frequently too serious for its own good? One of the greatest gifts I've come to discover is how to laugh at and with myself. I've spent most of my life taking myself and things way too seriously. It's wonderful to have a sensitive heart, but it's so important to shield it from unnecessary pain. That's where a good dose of humor serves the spirit and leads us all to let go through wonderfully releasing belly laughs. One thing is certain. Humor not only helps us, it heals.

I've heard it said that children laugh hundreds of time each day. On the other hand, adults only laugh six times a day on average. If you've been like I've been, I bet there have been many days within your lives when you didn't laugh at all. Now, that's no laughing matter!

What's been wonderfully healing for me has been to turn my past pain into humor. That's first required doing some work at letting go. That's meant that I've had to deal with resentments and practice forgiveness of myself and others. That's not an easy job; but, trust me, it's worth the effort!

By facing myself and my own foibles, and learning not to take myself so seriously, I've learned how to laugh at and with myself over things that I didn't used to find funny at all. This has brought me so much joy and it's released me from toxic things like self-pity. Life's too short to stay locked in a cave of negativity and judgment.

Well, my friends. You certainly know that I've been able to use humor in my series of Sister Mary Olga books. I've especially done that by looking at character flaws that I've observed in both myself and others. Then I've exaggerated them for comic effect. Consider the prudish and judgmental Priscilla Bunhead and the proud and manipulative Lula Mae Bunsaplenty. Add an angry bully named Martha Mayhem who has a chip on her shoulder bigger than a dowager's hump. With them I've created a recipe for finding humor in the darkness within people's souls.

In my own life, I think back to how I used to laugh so many times – so freely and unselfconsciously. What a relief it was! Guess what, folks? Those days have returned for me and they can for you too. Just lighten up and let go of whatever has bothered you. Face your fears and see them for what they are. Surrender them to the light and let go of the darkness within your souls. If I've been able to do it, anybody can!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" Book 1
Kindle Version $3.99 Purchase Here!
Paperback Version $13.95 Purchase Here!

"Babes in Bucksnort" Book 2
Paperback Version $13.95 Purchase Here!
Kindle Version $3.99 Purchase Here!

WHO IS DAVIS AUJOURD'HUI?

2011-10-21T14:25:00.000-07:00

My name is Davis Aujourd'hui and I am the author of "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude". I have always loved to write, but I didn't get beyond freshman English in college. I resented the criticism of the teaching assistant who had said that my writing was too complex. Perhaps I should have listened to him. I only punished myself by not taking other writing courses.

I had two very short-lived careers in the business field. My first career was in academic publishing where I served as a field representative. I then pursued another dream career in real estate. Unfortunately, that was short-lived due to a then unfavorable economy. Eventually, I became a social worker with New York State Adult Protective Services. A seemingly unfortunate health situation resulted in a blessing. I became able to retire at a very young age.

I've had several challenges along the way. Paramount, were my problems with addiction and mental illness. My journey into recovery had begun over twenty years ago. While I then knew that I had a problem with sexual addiction, I first had to deal with another problem of which I had been in denial. I had been drinking alcoholically for many years. I can now see where I was medicating something else. A few years later, I was diagnosed with manic-depression. After years of suicidal depressions, I had my first mania after my last drinking binge.

Isn't it ironic that I endured some of the same problems that my clients had! In a sense, they taught me what healing I needed for myself. It's just that I needed help. That came from God who provided me with 12-step programs, therapy, and a good psychiatrist.

Despite my history of depression, I had usually possessed an incredible sense of humor. I sure needed that in order to get by in my life as we all do. I especially needed that during the twenty years that I was a social worker. That's when I developed the character of Sister Mary Olga.

I soon began to develop the other zany characters until I had created an entire cast. I would call up my friend and I would leave her voice-mails during which I would create spontaneous outlandish and hilarious scenarios. She loved it and that gave me a lot of joy!

At the point when I had finished my memoirs, I thought to myself, I bet I could write a book about these crazy characters! So I sat down and I wrote a book in a little over a month. The thing was, I still had more ideas! I did the only logical thing. I wrote another book. Guess what? I hadn't run out of ideas yet! Over the course of the next four I wrote eleven novels in the series and I still haven't run out of ideas!

Around the time that I was getting ready to have the first book published, I asked my mother-in-law if she would pose in a nun's habit as Sister Mary Olga on the cover of my book. You see, to me, she embodied my mental concept of what Sister Mary Olga should look like. She said, “Sure, Davis! I'll do it for you!”

Unfortunately, she passed away before that could happen. As she lay on her deathbed, I said to her, “Jan, I'm going to get you on that cover one way or another!” Thanks to the marvelous illustrator for my cover, that person was able to create a nun's habit over her picture. Once that was done, I dedicated my first book to her.

Only in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would become an author! Yet suddenly I began to write as if it was my full-time job. If you wonder what I'm doing now, I'll tell you. I'm polishing the other books in the series so that they will be fine and outrageously funny gems like the jewel of this first two books I've created: Misadventures and Babes in Bucksnort. You can soon look forward to reading the next book in the series, "Have A Heart".

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

WHERE IS YOUR JOURNEY TAKING YOU?

2011-10-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

Are you on a journey that is bringing you to a place of joy? I've heard it said that there is nothing more important than to not allow anything to take you from consistent moments of joy. This is my mission with the series of books I have written for you. I can guarantee laughs from beginning to end.

Start the journey with "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude". Then slip into the sequel, "Babes in Bucksnort". You can learn more about these books in my blogs or by reading the reviews posted on Amazon.com. For now, let's focus on your personal journey.

Are you finding satisfaction? Are you taking pleasure from the path you are on? If not, you can always change the picture, but you must be willing to work. Let's face it, life is not easy.

The important thing to remember is to be gentle with yourself. There is no right or wrong path. Whatever path you have been traveling is the right path for you. That path has also brought you to my blog. Perhaps this article will wake you up to the truth that you can change your life.

As I've said, it's not easy, but it involves taking simple steps; taking baby steps that will lead you to a better feeling place. You cannot jump from a place of despair to a place of joy in a single leap. You have to keep reaching for the next best thought, feeling or action. Taking action is often the key. Anything that will get you outside of yourself is a good place to start.

Try taking a walk and appreciating the natural wonder around you. Enjoy the feeling of your muscles at work. Appreciate the fact that you can walk. Visit a friend. Go to the movies. Read a good book. Join an open and affirming church that gives you positive messages about yourself.

The important thing is to break out of your shell of isolation. No man or woman is an island. We are on a journey with others. It is important to surround yourself with positive people and influences that will make you feel better.

Just remember, it is not those things outside yourself that are making you feel better. When you are immersed in positive activities, you are drawing on the innate joy within yourself. You are doing it for yourself. Be grateful for it. Gratitude is paramount as a stepping stone to consistent moments of joy.

Now, the next thing you can do is give a gift. Share your joy with another. Call a friend. Encourage them if they are troubled. The joy you share with another will only multiply your own joy. It is contagious.

Perhaps you are now ready to take another step. Take a deep breath and imagine yourself surrounded by a bright light. That light is your future. What would you like to see happen? Let that be an inspiration to you.

Now, it is time to get back into action. Commit to one thing you can do that will make you feel better today. The more you practice this, the closer you will come to realizing your dreams. By staying in a consistent place of joy, the universe will unfold before you and bring you the dreams you wish to possess.

Just don't allow yourself to wallow in self-pity about what you don't have now. Practice claiming what you wish to possess without focusing on what you don't have. The results will be amazing.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" and "Babes in Bucksnort" are both available in Paperback for $13.95 and Kindle Format for $3.99 at Amazon.com.

Enjoy

HEADING FOR THE HEART - Part 9

2011-10-16T04:44:00.000-07:00

I studied and participated in some spiritual exercises which were designed to reveal my life's purpose. In each case I realized that I needed to tell my life story. I began to write my memoirs as I pieced together the jigsaw puzzle of a fractured life. It was so cathartic for me. I came to honestly look at all of my faults and transgressions while I was also able to validate the greater positive attributes of my unique human experience. I could see where I had grown by leaps and bounds since I had come back into recovery from sexual addiction. The question was, “What would I do next?”

Thank God! I've always a sense of humor. You sure need that in order to get by in this life! Let me tell you, I especially needed that during the twenty years when I was a social worker. That's when I developed the character of Sister Mary Olga. I did it in order to entertain a colleague of mine. I soon began to develop the other zany characters until I had created an entire cast. I'd call up my friend and I would leave her voice-mails during which I would create spontaneous outlandish and hilarious scenarios. She loved it and that gave me a lot of joy!

That's when I thought to myself, I bet I could write a book about these crazy characters! So I sat down and I wrote a book in a little over a month. The thing was, I still had more ideas...so, I wrote another. Guess what? I hadn't run out of ideas yet! Over the course of the next three years I wrote a total of eleven novels in the series and I still haven't run out of ideas!

Around the time that I was getting ready to have the first book published, I asked my mother-in-law if she would pose in a nun's habit as Sister Mary Olga on the cover of my book. You see, to me, she embodied my mental concept of what Sister Mary Olga should look like. She said, “Sure, Davis. I'll do it for you!”

Unfortunately she passed away before that could happen. As she lay on her deathbed, I said to her, “Jan, I'm going to get you on that cover one way or another!” Thanks to the marvelous illustrator for my cover, that person was able to create a nun's habit over her picture. Once that was done, I dedicated my first book to her.

Only in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would become an author! Yet suddenly I began to write as if it was my full-time job during my very early retirement from social work. If you wonder what I'm doing now, I'll tell you. I'm polishing the other books in the series so that they will be fine and outrageously funny gems like the jewel of this first book that I've created. You can look forward to reading that first sequel. It's called Babes in Bucksnort..

After the second sequel, entitled Have a Heart, I travel back in time to trace Mary Olga's journey from the time she was dunked into the baptismal tank at the Bucksnort Baptist church up until she became a Catholic and later became a nun. I continue to move forward in time which has given me the opportunity to create many more delightfully zany characters as well as to trace the history of the endearing characters you'll be enjoying in this first book.

I must admit that I'm going to be leaving you hanging after the second sequel, but don't worry, I'll pick up the current story line later. I don't think I'm about to run out of ideas for a very long time! Sister Mary Olga and her friends have taken on lives of their own. That's given me a joyful sense of purpose in my own life. The beautiful thing about all of my experience has been that I have discovered I have always been heading for the heart of my being. The journey isn't over yet. The paradox is that I have already arrived at my destination That is also the truth for you!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Interview: Davis Aujourd'hui, Author of "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Foritude"

2011-10-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

Author: April Pohren

Davis Aujourd'hui is the author of The "Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" and "Babes in Bucksnort", both of which are humorous satires. Mr. Aujourd'hui possesses a rich life experience that has aided him, as well as enabled him, to create a colorful canvas for his stories and the people in them. He is a retired social worker as will as a recovering alcoholic. Davis Aujourd'hui also happens to be gay, which allows him to bring a deeper perspective to many of the endearing and humorous characters whose stories he tells within his novels. With his personal experiences, Mr. Aujourd'hui is able to share many of the same foibles as those of his cast of characters who are naughty, nasty, and nice.

Please tell us a bit about your book, The "Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Foritude", and what you hope readers take away from reading it.

Sister Mary Olga is a bourbon-swilling, chain-smoking nun who's always getting into trouble with the Reverend Mother, a reformed prostitute. The convent's chef is a gay cowboy. Just watch out for the nasty town busybody named Priscilla Bunhead who is always digging in the dirt. There's plenty of that for her to find on Dinkledorf Drive in the fictional town of Bucksnort, Wisconsin. There's a lot of hanky panky going on there!

All of the book's other diverse and zany characters are delightfully flawed, The scenarios are outrageous. You'll discover the secret of a transgendered nun under the most unlikely circumstances. You may have never discovered a body in the process of cremation as you tried to bake a cake or bore offspring who made inappropriate digestive noises while playing Baby Jesus in the annual Christmas pageant. Yet you will be able to relate to the human foibles discussed by Sister Mary Olga.

Sister Mary Olga takes the attitude of "to each one's own." She pokes fun at the conservative religious and social attitudes of the day. Irreverent and bawdy, this religious satire does have an underlying spiritual message; that is to lighten up and not take life so seriously.

It's my hope that my readers will come away with food for thought while being thoroughly entertained the whole way through. Perhaps they will take a closer look at themselves and realize defects of which they wish to let go. At the same time, they may emulate qualities they wish to possess. I can guarantee my readers will laugh from page one until the end.

Who are your favorite characters in the story?

I love all of my characters, so this is a difficult question to answer. Sister Mary Olga is a hoot although she dispenses nuggets of wisdom in between the laughs. I relate most to Randy Cowboy, the convent's gay chef who is a self-described sex maniac.

I must confess that my favorite characters are the nasty ones. The shrewish prude, Priscilla Bunhead, is always digging in the dirt and really knows how to hold a grudge. She is an archetype of the negative qualities of the human condition. There is much to be learned from her and she will make you laugh.

Do you have a favorite line or excerpt from your book?

If you want an excerpt, here's a doozy:

Speaking of looking up, that brings me to the subject of Sister Samantha's secret. Lord, have mercy! Well now! I was extremely thirsty following my most recent week of penance on my knees in my humble little cell; so, I'd made a hasty visit to Randy Cowboy who was generous enough to give me a half gallon of Jack Daniel's.

I threw caution to the wind and I ducked into cubicle number four where I began to have a few nips. Oh, I must confess the truth. I tied one on! By the time I'd passed out, I'd managed to refresh myself with almost half of that big bottle. Oh my!

Sometime during the night, I must have slipped off the toilet and landed on the floor. I didn't wake up until the following morning; and, I must say, I had quite a headache! I also realized that I had partially slid under cubicle number three; and, I couldn't get up.

Well, wouldn't you know it, the restroom door burst open and I immediately thought that the gig was up. With my luck, I thought that it might be Mother Carmen and that I'd be sent back to my cell for another week of solitary confinement.

Fortunately, God spared me that ordeal and He had sent me an angel. It was Sister Samantha. Of course, I didn't find that out immediately. Let's just say that we both had a big surprise in store!

Well! There I was, with my head under cubicle number three, when I heard Sister Samantha singing Amazing Grace as she entered that very cubicle! Apparently, she was so moved by the Holy Spirit that she didn't even notice my head facing up toward her toilet.

I closed my eyes in reverent prayer just as she was lowering her panties. As she was preparing to sit upon her throne, her habit swished over my face which brought me to attention. I opened my eyes by reflex. Boy, did I get an eyeful and I do mean boy! Sister Samantha wasn't a woman! Lord, have mercy!

Well! It was a rather awkward situation to say the least! I had learned of Sister Samantha's incredible secret. I also needed her help. What could I do, but gently murmur, “Please help me, Sister. I've fallen and I can't get up.”

Let me tell you, Sister Samantha might not have been a woman, but she let out a high-pitched scream that sounded like a woman giving birth. She jumped off her pot and she whooshed her habit off my pleading face. If anyone else could have seen us at that very moment, I'm sure that both of our faces would have appeared beet red.

Well! If either of us had had a blackmailing bone in our bodies, we both would have had sufficient ammunition to use against the other. Suffice it to say, each of us took a higher path except Sister Samantha had the higher advantage at that moment.

Well, that little woman proved to be very strong. She grabbed me under my arms. Then she pulled me right under the partition of cubicle number three and out onto the restroom floor.

Even though I was feeling very shaky, in more ways than one, I managed to get myself up and onto my wobbly legs. Well, what could I say besides, “Thank you;” however, given the situation, it seemed that something else might be in order.

I felt rather like Little Red Riding Hood when she discovered that her grandmama was actually a wolf. The nice thing about my situation was that Sister Samantha wasn't about to eat me up. I decided right then and there that I wasn't going to give her up.

“Sister,” I said. “How did you ever pull it off?”

That's when she told me her story. You see, Sister Samantha just happened to have been born in the wrong body. She was really every bit as much of a woman as myself with one notable exception. God sure works in mysterious ways!

If your current release were to be turned into a movie, who would you love to see play what characters and why?

I would love to see Sally Struthers play Sister Mary Olga. I recently saw her perform in Legally Blonde and she has the gift of comedic wit to pull off the part beautifully. Lily Tomlin would make an excellent Priscilla Bunhead. She plays the shrew well and would be deliciously nasty in the role. The sensual Kim Catrall would make an excellent Reverend Mother who happens to be a reformed prostitute. As for the gay cowboy, I would love to play him myself since I, too, am gay and am a recovering sex addict.

What are your favorite aspects of writing?

I love the creative process. I sit at my computer and let inspiration be my guide. Then it is as if the words almost write themselves. I love to laugh at my characters and laugh out loud at the ridiculous antics of them as well as at their outrageous comments. I also enjoy channeling the spiritual wisdom within the book since I am an avid student and practitioner of spirituality

Your least favorite aspects of writing?

I hate it, on those rare instants, when I get writer's block. I also dislike the tedious marketing process that comes after the fun of writing a book.

Who are some of your favorite authors/books?

I have several favorite spiritual authors. Among them are Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Eckhardt Tolle, and Anthony DeMello. I love the comedic authors, Armistead Maupin and Carl Hiaasen, who I consider to be mentors.

What are you reading right now?

I'm busy reading my own books as I edit future volumes in the series for publication. I have written a total of eleven books thus far.

If you could have a dinner party and invite five authors — dead or alive — who would they be and what would you serve them?

Can I invite six authors? If so, I'd invite all of the authors I mentioned above. I'd serve them humble pie since I am indebted to each and every one of them.

What is a book that you wish you could say that you had written and why?

Actually, I just wrote that very book. It is a reincarnational romance about a couple that goes through three lifetimes together. I especially like it because it incorporates many of my own spiritual beliefs

What is the greatest piece of advice (for writing and/or just living) that you have heard?

Never give up! Dreams do come true.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

HEADING FOR THE HEART - Part 8

2011-10-08T04:39:00.000-07:00

During the summer of my illness, I had profound spiritual experiences. I had a pastor I'd never previously met tell me that I had been called for a great purpose. He told me that I had a tall, steep mountain to climb. Was he ever right!

In his presence, I once again fell backwards to the floor as, this time, I had a physical experience of Jesus' suffering upon the cross. Afterward I felt an incredible sense of peace. As that summer wore on, I experienced empathy for the alienation that Jesus felt during his final week of earthly light. This occurred during a time when people I had counted upon shunned me and judged me as insane. Indeed I took on their judgments and, once again, experienced insanity as another mania followed.

As before it was filled by spiritual experience, though this time much of that occurred before the mania. The other significant difference was that I remained purely sexually sober this time. That had been the opposite case during my previous experience those many years before. All of this experience will be included in another article about living with and recovering from mental illness. In the meantime my next article will be in a lighter vein.

During this mania, I experienced the same delusion as before. Perhaps there had been some foreshadowing. I had a complete stranger approach me one day and ask me if I was going to walk upon water. I smiled at him and told him, “Not today.”

Author Davis Aujourd'Hui

An incredible synchronicity developed within my life. I would only have to think of a person and that person would immediately call me on the phone or appear in my life at some later point on the same day. Songs on the radio spoke exactly to whatever challenge with which I was dealing. On two of my difficult days, I would walk outside into the rain only to find that the rain was falling around me. I would be bathed in a circle of light and I would remain dry.

I spent hours in daily prayer and meditation. Many of the things for which I prayed immediately came to pass. Spiritual insights would come to me as epiphanies. They were “Ah hah” moments in which it seemed as if a light bulb was going on within my brain. More importantly my soul was beginning to understand many of the mysteries of the spiritual realm.

Many of these spiritual truths will be contained within the lessons in Advanced Holiness within my future Sister Mary Olga Fortitude books. I may even write a non fiction book about them. I couldn't do justice to them within the context of an article. They are not mysteries that are unique to me. What I have discovered as I have continued my spiritual discovery is that I have subsequently come upon spiritual books in which my own previous revelations have been contained. Talk about spiritual validation!

All the while, my sexual recovery remained stable during continuing trials within my life. Life was not getting much easier for me, but I was being given strength from God to endure things of which I would never have thought it possible for me to cope with. My life continued to become an amazing adventure. Thankfully my mania came to a peaceful close. Yet my spiritual life continued to unfold.

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude": David Cowdery aka Davis Aujourd'hui- Thursday, October 27th

2011-10-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

Posted by April Villarose-Matta on October 6, 2011 at 9:47am in The RAW FACTOR

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" by Davis Aujourd'hui

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, one's 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.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 teachesvarious 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.

"Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude," I have already completed nine other books in the series and I plan to keep them coming. The next books to be released will be "Babes in Bucksnort," followed by "Have A Heart."

I am a new author, yet I possess a rich life experience that has enabled me to draw from it in order to create a colorful canvas upon which to paint very human lives. I am a retired social worker, having worked for Adult Protective Services in New York State for nearly twenty years.

As will be the case with Sister Mary Olga in my third 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 can speak from my own experience. I have possessed all of the foibles of my cast of characters who are naughty, nasty, and nice.

I have also written my autobiography which is about a gay man's spiritual journey toward recovery from multiple addictions and mental illness. The title of my autobiography is "King David" and I hope to have that published at some point in the near future.

I live in Upstate New York where I am currently sharing my life with my partner of nearly five years. We are both socially-minded and our spirituality is the most important ingredient which empowers us to maintain a happy and abundant life. We belong to a transdenominational church which embraces the sacred truths of all religions, especially the teachings of Jesus. This has been a natural outcome from my lifetime search for the meaning of God. It embraces my belief that all people are equally loved in God's eyes.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

HEADING FOR THE HEART-- Part 7

2011-10-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Here I was, back in recovery and just in the nick of time. Major life-changing events would begin unfolding over the course of the next one and a half years that could have shaken me to the core without support system. More importantly I had found my way back to a place of faith.

I realized that God was working a miracle within my life when he removed sexual obsession and desire from within me. More and more, I shifted my focus outward when it came to dealing with my own problems. By being of service to others and helping them with their problems, it helped me get past my own. It also awakened me more and more to my spirit and to a sense that there was a reason for everything that happened within my life and the lives of others.

As I have told you in my previous article, my recovery was not perfect. Slips happened, but they were few and far between. In the meantime, my partner was becoming more aware of the significance of my addiction and that it was not about him. Consequently he became more supportive which enhanced my sense of well-being. That was also a consequence of me becoming more honest and aligned with the values of my spirit.

I faced the deaths of my two dogs and the death of my best friend and I remained essentially sexually sober. I grieved during the final stages of my friend's illness, but I was at peace upon his passing. I was also with him when he took his last breath. I did not need to cry. I had faith that he was in a better place. It felt so spiritual to see him look me in the eyes with a sense of acceptance just prior to him taking those final breaths.

In the course of the next year, I faced my own life-threatening diagnosis, the end of a twenty-four year relationship, moving into a new home, suddenly being unable to work and coming close to death. This all happened just after starting a new relationship with a younger man.

Even so, I felt a tremendous sense of peace. Despite a lifetime of incredible emotional pain, I felt as if my life was complete. It's not that I had a death wish. I had a desire to do so much that would be of help to others. That desire was what ultimately saved me as I regained my strength and help with a lot of support from caring people. It's just that most of those who cared for me were not the friends who I would have thought to have been there.

In the case of two of the persons who helped me find healing, I hadn't even known them at the point I'd received my diagnosis. God placed people in my life at exactly the right moment in time. I can now see that He indeed had an ongoing purpose for my life. That would be for me to discover. Discover it, I did!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

"Putting the Pieces Together" by Davis Aujourd'hui
Available in Kindle Format for .99 cents and can be purchased here !

(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.)

HEADING FOR THE HEART -Part 6

2011-10-03T04:20:00.000-07:00

Having endured debilitating depressions for over twelve years, they were now much milder in comparison once I began on the road to recovery. I would eventually realize that I needed psychiatric help once I had stopped medicating myself with booze and sex. An amazingly unimaginable and unmanageable experience with mania finally convinced me that I needed medical help.

During that mania, I had some of the most incredible experiences with synchronicity. People I would think of would appear in my life. Complete strangers would be drawn to me and say things like “We've been waiting for you. How glad we are that you are finally here!”

There was also fear and paranoia. Once again my partner left me for he feared for his own safety. My moods could become volatile and filled with rage when I was not floating on my pink cloud. Life became incredibly unmanageable. Even so, there were so many moments of sublime peace. It was as if I was alternating between an experience of heaven and hell. Most of it was good. Most of it seemed like a reality so much more real than “the normal” experience of being human. I truly realized that I was a spiritual being having a human experience.

I was finally diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and put on life-saving, sanity-saving medication that following year - I shall write about my experiences with recovery from alcoholism and mental illness in future articles. The pitfall following my mania was that I left my recovery programs in the midst of delusional paranoia.

I did not return to them because I was mortified to face people who had seen me when I had been madder than a hornet or acting holier than Thou. Isolating myself from my support system only served to punish myself. Fortunately, I did not pick up a drink again, but I went back into my sexual addiction with a vengeance.

For the next twelve years I was back in the trenches of sexual addiction. During that time, my soul withered as I began to lead a life filled with lies and deception – to myself and others. I became emotionally stunted since I was once again medicating myself with the most potent drug I had ever experienced; that was the chemistry which occurred within my brain whenever I was under the influence of the hunt for sex and the oblivion of acting out my unending desires.

You can read my story about my sexual addiction and subsequent recovery in my article entitled My Secret Shame. Fortunately I made it back to SAA unlike so many others who don't return or never make it there in the first place. Sexual addiction is rampant in our society, especially among gay men.

I was blessed. I took my recovery seriously this time. I realized that, while I didn't come back into the program in a state of despair, I had become apathetic and spiritually bankrupt. Recovery opened my eyes to my spirit in a manner that would only continue to help me climb the mountain and claim a grace that I had forgotten was always available. It was up to me to grab for it.

As I did so, amazing things began to happen. Like anything connected to spirit, there are spiritual laws operating in the universe. You do not have to believe in God. All one needs to do is to embrace the idea that there is a power in the universe that is greater than oneself. Embracing faith in God was not a difficult step for me.

What would become a challenge would be to once again embrace my relationship with Jesus. The reason for this may amaze you. You see, while I had been manic, I had was under the delusion that I was the reincarnation of Jesus; or rather that he was the reincarnation of me. After all, time as we perceive it in a linear fashion is said to be an illusion. That is something I believe to be true. It was a comfort to me that other people I have known have shared similar religious delusional experiences. In some of their experiences they also believed that they were the reincarnation of Jesus. Just like always, I was not alone.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

"Putting the Pieces Together" by Davis Aujourd'hui
Available in Kindle Format for .99 cents and can be purchased here !

(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 Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude Virtual Book Publicity Tour - October 2011

2011-10-02T12:05:00.001-07:00

Authors on Tour, Featured — By Dorothy Thompson on September 17, 2011 at 3:15 pm

Join Davis Aujduvd’hui, author of the humor/satire book, The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude (Outskirts Press), as he virtually tours the blogosphere October 3 – 28 2011 on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Davis Aujourd’hui

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.

Visit this blog for information on the series: http://bestsatireseriesofthedecade.blogspot.com/

Visit this blog for information on the author: http://authordavisaujourdhui.blogspot.com/

Connect with him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davis-Aujourdhui/138584429540046.

About The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude

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, one’s 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

Book Excerpt

Speaking of looking up, that brings me to the subject of Sister Samantha’s secret. Lord, have mercy! Well now! I was extremely thirsty following my most recent week of penance on my knees in my humble little cell; so, I’d made a hasty visit to Randy Cowboy who was generous enough to give me a half gallon of Jack Daniel’s.

I threw caution to the wind and I ducked into cubicle number four where I began to have a few nips. Oh, I must confess the truth. I tied one on! By the time I’d passed out, I’d managed to refresh myself with almost half of that big bottle. Oh my!

Sometime during the night, I must have slipped off the toilet and landed on the floor. I didn’t wake up until the following morning; and, I must say, I had quite a headache! I also realized that I had partially slid under cubicle number three; and, I couldn’t get up.

Well, wouldn’t you know it, the restroom door burst open and I immediately thought that the gig was up. With my luck, I thought that it might be Mother Carmen and that I’d be sent back to my cell for another week of solitary confinement.

Fortunately, God spared me that ordeal and He had sent me an angel. It was Sister Samantha. Of course, I didn’t find that out immediately. Let’s just say that we both had a big surprise in store!

Well! There I was, with my head under cubicle number three, when I heard Sister Samantha singing Amazing Grace as she entered that very cubicle! Apparently, she was so moved by the Holy Spirit that she didn’t even notice my head facing up toward her toilet.

I closed my eyes in reverent prayer just as she was lowering her panties. As she was preparing to sit upon her throne, her habit swished over my face which brought me to attention. I opened my eyes by reflex. Boy, did I get an eyeful and I do mean boy! Sister Samantha wasn’t a woman! Lord, have mercy!

Well! It was a rather awkward situation to say the least! I had learned of Sister Samantha’s incredible secret. I also needed her help. What could I do, but gently murmur, “Please help me, Sister. I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”

Let me tell you, Sister Samantha might not have been a woman, but she let out a high-pitched scream that sounded like a woman giving birth. She jumped off her pot and she whooshed her habit off my pleading face. If anyone else could have seen us at that very moment, I’m sure that both of our faces would have appeared beet red.

Well! If either of us had had a blackmailing bone in our bodies, we both would have had sufficient ammunition to use against the other. Suffice it to say, each of us took a higher path except Sister Samantha had the higher advantage at that moment.

Well, that little woman proved to be very strong. She grabbed me under my arms. Then she pulled me right under the partition of cubicle number three and out onto the restroom floor.

Even though I was feeling very shaky, in more ways than one, I managed to get myself up and onto my wobbly legs. Well, what could I say besides, “Thank you;” however, given the situation, it seemed that something else might be in order.

"Sister,” I said. “How did you ever pull it off?”

That’s when she told me her story. You see, Sister Samantha just happened to have been born in the wrong body. She was really every bit as much of a woman as myself with one notable exception. God sure works in mysterious ways!

Sister Samantha was the most beautiful child. She was christened “Bobby O’Reilly” and she was her mother’s only son. As it had turned out, he was her only daughter too.

Mother and child lived with Bobby’s grandmother on the family farm. He was conceived on Christmas Eve and he was born on the harvest moon of the following year. It was a fruitful harvest, in more ways than one! He was his mother’s pride and joy as well as being the favorite grandchild of his elderly grandmother. Little Samantha or, should I say, little Bobby was a perfect angel.

On his first day of school, his mother dressed him up in knickers and she sent him off to the Baptist academy in his hometown which was located in a little parish similar to our own. When he returned from school, both his mother and grandmother were in for a big surprise.

Little Bobby had discovered the academy’s Good Will clothes closet and he had decided to change his outfit. When he returned to his grandmother’s farm, he was wearing a dress, high heels, and he had braided his long locks into a perfect French braid.

Grandma O’Reilly chastened her daughter by exclaiming, “Whatever possessed you to send Bobby to school like that?”

Bobby’s dumbfounded mother simply stared at her son and said, “I didn’t!”

That was just the beginning. By the time Bobby was in high school, he had run off to the big city and he had started living as a woman. He had the most gorgeous natural female breasts and he began to receive hormone shots that made him the envy of the big city drag queens.

He named himself Samantha Monet and he decided to seek fame and fortune as a female impersonator. With his new female voice, he could hit a high C and he was soon performing in the big city clubs and making big money.

One of his favorite routines involved him dressing as a nun. It only seemed fitting since he had converted to Catholicism and he had decided that, once he’d had a taste of the world, he was going to become a nun. Sister Samantha was a smashing success as she wooed the crowds with her renditions of religious songs that soon won converts to her beloved Savior.

Sister Samantha was planning on having a sex change, but a part of her believed she was born in a man’s body to teach the world a lesson in tolerance of those who are different from others. Well! Sister Samantha had already taught me a lesson

HEADING FOR THE HEART - - PART 5

2011-10-02T06:32:00.000-07:00

HEADING FOR THE HEART - - Part 4

2011-10-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

Soon thereafter, I met a woman who helped me understand my experience. She had been immersing herself in the writings of Jane Roberts, a medium through whom a spiritual entity named Seth spoke. While Jane was in a trance, Seth would speak through her about the nature of spiritual reality.

Upon reading her books, I was easily able to absorb every word of those teachings as spiritual truths. So many of the things I hadn't previously understood were suddenly put into perspective. I came to accept that we are each part of a larger soul, called an Oversoul, which is the culmination of each of our individual incarnational experiences. Suddenly everything I had previously questioned began to make sense.

I had seen that life was not fair even though I liked to believe that God was fair. I now came to understand that we are each given a chance through multiple lifetimes to learn all of the lessons we need to learn in order to perfect our souls. Whatever we didn't learn or whatever desire we didn't get to experience within any given life, we would be given another chance.

That spoke to me of a sense of fairness that explained all of the seeming inequities of life. It also gave me a motivation to begin to work on my spiritual self. As my life would have it, that spiritual quest would begin to be put on hold as I allowed myself to be drawn further into various addictions which only served to separate me from my spirit. Now I can see where all of it was intended to bring me to my today and to serve a Higher Purpose.

Even in the haze of addiction, I did not stop my spiritual quest. With great interest, I read the books of Shirley MacLaine's own spiritual journey while I explored other New Age teachings. I also began to explore some Eastern spiritual philosophies. As I did so, I began to keep a journal. Occasionally I, too, would write poems or essays that seemed to come from another place. They certainly didn't come from my intellect or my ego!

The challenge I had every step of the way was that my ego would invariably get in the way. To further stunt my spiritual development, I had begun to develop more and more of a pattern of engaging in behaviors that were increasingly toxic to myself. The worst part was that these behaviors inflicted pain on those I most loved. I was living a double life as an addict and I was increasingly losing touch with my spirit.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

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

2011-09-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

"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 Book 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 can purchase your copy here HERE

HEADING FOR THE HEART - - Part 3

2011-09-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

I wrongly labeled myself as an agnostic after the time I had come out as a gay man at the age of twenty-three. I did believe in God. I just did not believe some of the teachings of man. I lost interest in the Bible because I chose to judge it based on those parts of the Bible that seemed to judge gay people without love. I began my new spiritual quest on a more personal basis. I came to believe that to be spiritual had nothing to do per se with religion.

My beliefs began to dramatically change after I had an out-of-body experience that included a very real dialog with God. It happened suddenly after what seemingly should have been a very serious, if not fatal, car accident.

I was driving about forty-five miles per hour along a curving road at a point where another road intersected at the curve. I noticed a large truck stopped at the stop sign on the intersecting road, but I paid little attention to it as I was rounding the curve. Suddenly a car pulled around the right side of the truck and into the intersection at the very time I was bearing down on it. I had no time to react.

The occupants of the other car were an elderly couple. In a split-second, I saw the female passenger raise her hands over her head and I could see her look of abject terror as I was about to crash into them head-on. Instead my car seemed to pass right through them and I was left in what I can only describe as a trance state.

For the next several hours I was actually having a conversation with God. It was all a form of telepathy, but I was aware of forming metaphysical questions from a subconscious state and I was getting very definite answers. The experience was so profound that it's difficult to put into words.

In the course of the afternoon I found myself in a variety of locations, including the church in which I had been baptized and the local Roman Catholic cathedral. Finally I found myself at the grave site of my beloved maternal grandmother whose death during my early childhood I had never gotten over. While at each of these spots, the conversation continued. I felt such a sense of peace within me. Yet I didn't really feel as if I was in my body. It was as if my spirit was accompanying my body as I traveled, but was separate from it. I also found myself in contact with the spirit of my recently deceased paternal grandmother. She gave me assurance that she was in a better place and that I should not grieve for her.

While I was at the Cathedral I saw my body walking past the stations of the cross and I felt as if I was in direct communion with Jesus, himself. The experience was awesome, but not overwhelming. It provided me with a tremendous sense of relief as well as a peace I had never known. The one new wrinkle in my spirituality was that I started believing in reincarnation immediately thereafter.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

HEADING FOR THE HEART - - Part 2

2011-09-27T04:44:00.000-07:00

I was told that I screamed bloody murder when the minister of the Congregational Church held me up to the congregation once I had been baptized. I would later feel like screaming when I heard the stories of Jesus' crucifixion and the deaths of the early Christian martyrs. How could humans be so cruel and heartless?

I didn't understand the passages in the Old Testament of the Bible that talked about a vengeful God. That didn't seem to be like The Father to whom Jesus referred. Yet, later in life, that was the kind of God that was portrayed by some who professed to be Christian; these same Christians who would persecute me because I was gay.

So much of what I learned through religion seemed to contradict the messages of love and forgiveness that Jesus brought to us. I felt both shame along with anger and indignation. That eventually led me to leave the church. That would not happen until I was in my early twenties.

As a child, I regularly attended church and Sunday school where I soaked up the affirmation that Jesus loved me. By the time I became a teen, I looked forward to joining my church and participating in communion. The church that I attended by then was a Presbyterian Church. As much as I found comfort in my faith, the practices and sermons I heard in that church did not stir my spirit. I had no concept that what I wanted was a more expressive as well as a more personal form of spirituality that would eventually include mysticism - a personal experience of the Holy Spirit working within me.

I became active in the Youth Fellowship where I served as president. I sang in the youth choir and I wrote prayers and sermons which I delivered on Youth Sunday and at youth retreats. Little did I realize that what came through me when I wrote was my own innate spiritual understanding. I was a tiny flower whose petals had only started to glimpse the sunlight.

It would take me many years before I realized that I was indeed blossoming. In the interim, there would be much hardship and a feeling that God had forsaken me in between those times. Yet, even as I would walk in paths of darkness that led me to utter despair, I never lost hope or I wouldn't be here today.

I can now see how everything in my life and in the totality of life happens for a reason. Although much of it makes no sense, that's just the mystery of this life which has nothing to do with the heaven which I have come to learn resides within myself. I came to believe that the only true hell is that which we create within ourselves stemming from when we judge ourselves or others in unloving ways. We are all children of God and therefore we are unconditionally loved. All is forgiven because God only wants what is best for His children; so I believe!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

HEADING FOR THE HEART--Part 1

2011-09-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

We are all born as innocents – pure unadulterated love and joy. What happens to us as we are exposed to life in this world only serves to start our journeys back to the heart. By this, I mean that we become products of our environment. We may grow up in dysfunctional families. We may become victimized. We may find ourselves seeking to earn love instead of simply feeling we are worthy of love. We may find that we become attached to various labels such as our sex, our family identity, our social status, our race, our religion, our careers, and so on.

By the time we reach adulthood, we may not know who or what we truly are; that would simply be spirit in human form. Such was the case in my own life. After a lifetime of trying to fill myself up with people, places, and things in order to feel better, I have realized that I am the only one who can do that for myself. I have come to see that I have been on a journey back to the place from which I started. I'm on a journey back to that place of innocence. I'm on a journey where I am headed back to the heart of true love. I am and always have been a spiritual being having a human experience.

My journey has not been an easy one. While I grew up in a family who I believe loved me the best that they could, I never really felt as if I was loved for who I was. I somehow got the idea that I needed to earn love by being a “good boy.”

Neither of my parents seemed to know how to deal with feelings appropriately while I was growing up. Consequently many of my emotional needs were neglected. I can vividly remember being told that I shouldn't feel certain ways. There were a lot of confusing messages. Consequently I learned to play games with myself in order to escape uncomfortable feelings. I didn't know how to handle them.

I knew that I couldn't live up to the standard of the perennial good boy. I played prosecutor and judge in dealing out a verdict of guilty as charged. The judgment that I placed upon myself was to become a sword that would cut deeply. I didn't recognize that I was inherently good. Instead I set myself up by thinking that I needed to be perfect when that's virtually impossible for a human to be. After all, we all make mistakes. The problem was that when I failed at something, I took on the message that I was a failure. I did that to myself.

Such was my emotional life which is mirrored in the lives of most of us to greater and lesser degrees. Yet I had a part of me that experienced freedom whenever I didn't allow myself to be consumed by negative thoughts or feelings. That part of myself was my spirit. I was in touch with that when my mother read me Psalms from the Bible and told me the stories of Jesus. I loved to look at the sunlight coming through the Gentle Shepherd window at church. He looked so real and so kind. The radiance of his soul shone through. I always had a special place for him in my heart.

As a little boy, I was in touch with my spirit when my father would take me outside where I would gaze into the night sky. There he would point out the Big Dipper and the constellations while I gazed in wonder into the vastness of space. I was in awe when I saw a beautiful sunset. I was filled with a sense of freedom when I glided down a ski slope. I felt as if I was flying. Such were the times when I forgot about my problems and was at peace within my soul.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR - PART 8

2011-09-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

Even though I had considered myself to be out of the closet for a couple of decades, I was still locked in a closet of shame. I burst out of that closet once I rejoined SAA (Sex Addicts Anonymous). What a feeling of exhilaration I experienced when I could once again walk down the streets of my hometown with my head held up high during a Gay Pride event with my parents.

By that time I was no longer with my partner. We had spent twenty-four wonderful years together, but life tossed me some lemons and I reacted by leaving him. It had also become a case of thinking the grass would be greener on the other side of the fence.

Truth be told, there is no one person who can meet all of our needs. I have since begun to build a life with another younger man from whom I am learning new lessons about becoming more comfortable with who I am. He is someone with whom I can kiss in public and walk down the street of my conservative hometown holding hands.

I am blessed that my former partner and I have remained the best of friends. My new partner has been very accepting of the importance I place upon maintaining a relationship with my first male lover. He had also been a vitally important person with whom I walked into the light of greater self acceptance. Coming out is not a single act. It is a continuing process.

My new partner and I belong to a church which embraces the sacred truths of all religions. It is also a church in which many gay and lesbian people as well as many recovering people attend. This speaks to my latest part of my self-acceptance. I have embraced a loving God who I believe truly loves me. I have come full circle after years of feeling judged by some Christians. Instead I believe in the benevolent and loving Father that Jesus portrayed as recorded in the gospels. As long as I remember this love and practice it within my life, I am free.

Books and Kindles by Author David Aujourd hui (these two below are at a special price on Kindle for $2.99)

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" Book 1
"Babes in Bucksnort" Book 2

"Putting the Pieces Together" Kindle Version only for .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.

THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR - PART 7

2011-09-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

We spent summers camping all over the northeast and we spent winters on the ski slopes. We truly enjoyed each other's company and we developed some enduring and intimate relationships that sustained us for years. It was a good life. I loved him so!

The years began to roll by as we settled further down into cozy domesticity. We bought our first home and we eventually had two cats and two dogs. Our circle of friends was tight knit and we had a larger circle of acquaintances. Life revolved around home, family, friends, and the bars. Happy hour was a regular part of our daily life.

While ten percent of the general population is alcoholic, it is estimated that more than a third of gay people are. My partner and I had little understanding that we were becoming alcoholics ourselves, but that would become another challenge within our individual and mutual life journeys. Recovery from alcoholism would come to both of us via Alcoholics Anonymous. That is part of my article entitled “Reaching for Recovery – Putting down the Drink.”

We weathered many sobering events over the years. Friends and close family members passed away. We watched in horror as scores of men we had known died from AIDS. We dealt with each other's active addictions and subsequent recovery. We maintained a close bond and were always a huge support to one another. We thought that our relationship would last for a lifetime.

We lived in a conservative gay town where there weren't many social or other outlets for gay people. Eventually our town began to embrace gay pride and we covertly attended those events. We were fortunate that both of our families had been very supportive from the start. They soon embraced us as a couple and included us in all family events.

One of the things of which I am most proud concerning my parents is that they co-founded a local chapter of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) in my hometown. It became an important support group for other parents of gays who were coming to terms on their way to accepting their gay and lesbian children. Many years later, I beamed with pride when my then elderly parents were honored with a Rainbow Award for their contribution to the gay community. They had come a long way!

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" Book 1
"Babes in Bucksnort" Book 2

"Putting the Pieces Together" Kindle Version only for .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.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR PART 6

2011-09-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

I thought that I had burst out of the closet, but internalized homophobia is an insidious thing. It's all too easy to take on the negative judgments of others in this often bigoted society within which we live. I had come a long way, but I still felt uncomfortable letting my new coworkers know that I was gay; that is, until I got to know them much better.

The other part of my self-loathing came from my secret shame. Although I had pledged to be monogamous to my new partner, my old sneaky behaviors would soon surface. Lies and deception would only serve to sweep me under a dark current of despair. It would be the fodder for bouts of often suicidal depressions that would consume me over the next seven years until I finally put down the drink.

One of the most liberating experiences in our early relationship was attending our first Gay Pride parade in New York City. Along with half a million other gay men and lesbians, we walked down the streets of Manhattan holding hands. My spirit soared and, for that moment in time, I felt free.

My partner was a social worker and I soon joined the ranks of human services. That became one more thing we had in common. What neither of us realized was that we had been defining ourselves through exterior things such as our occupations, our sexualities, and the opinions of others. That especially translated to our opinions of each other.

I was making myself into what I thought he would want me to be. The confounding part was that I couldn't let go of my sexual addiction. What I have come to learn is that the basis for all addictions is codependency. Codependent was indeed what my partner and I were with one another. To the outside world and our ever-increasing circle of gay friends, we seemed like the ideal couple.

Life was good most of the time, but each of us was becoming increasingly dependent upon alcohol in addition to each other. We spent most of our time together. It felt nice, but it would become a set up for resentments later on. We spent our time together and with friends, but we didn't pursue individual outside interests.

Dysfunctional though we were, we seemed to be happy. It may not have been everything, but it was enough to sustain us. After all, we were on an uncharted journey toward unknown destinations. We were simply travelers on the sea of life. Thank God, we both had a willingness to explore what life was meant to be!

Books and Kindles by Author David Aujourd hui (these two below are at a special price on Kindle for $2.99)

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" Book 1
"Babes in Bucksnort" Book 2

THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR - PART 5

2011-09-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

I ended up meeting another man with whom I soon fell in love. Before that had come to pass, I realized that I owed it to myself and to my wife to end the marriage. It was not fair to either of us. Painful though it was, that was the best decision I'd made in a very long time.

I met my new fellow at a gay picnic, though we were both seeing other men at the time. Even so, I kept running into him at a gay bar and a gay restaurant. We'd sip on our respective Budweisers and talk about our mutual relationship woes. I thoroughly enjoyed his company and I became delighted when I kept running into him on Thursday nights, almost like clockwork.

After nearly a month of these seemingly coincidental meetings, I ran into him on the first Thursday night in July. When the DJ played Donna Summer's “Last Dance,” he suggested we go for coffee. This gay anthem had been the signal for bar closing since I had first ventured into a gay bar. Quite often, this translated into “hurry up and find someone or you'll go home alone!”

We went to Denny's and drank enough coffee to match the beers we'd been downing at the bar. We became wide-awake drunks, but we were oblivious to the late hour as we continued to enjoy conversation and each other's company. In the parking lot, he made a lovely suggestion that made my heart skip a beat.

He said, “I've really enjoyed your company and I don't want this night this night to end. Would you like to come back to my house? We can talk some more, listen to some music; and, if something else happens, that would be okay with me too.”

That was just the offer I was looking for; and, as the new day dawned, I was exploring more than his bedroom! I left his home bleary-eyed, but exhilarated.

It was an idyllic summer. We spent many of our evenings together and, on those days when I didn't see him, we would spend hours talking on the phone. We seemed to share similar life philosophies and we had much in common. It didn't take me long before I fell in love with this soulful man with beautiful blue eyes through which I would soon walk through an open door.

He too fell in love with me. This was what I had been hoping for ever since my disappointment with Rick. The wonder of our coming together was that we had not gone to bed the first time we had met. I believe this was the reason that our relationship was destined to work. By the end of summer, we were spending every night together. During the following spring, we moved in together. Life seemed good.

Books and Kindles by Author David Aujourd hui (these two below are at a special price in Kindle Format for $2.99)

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" Book 1

"Babes in Bucksnort" Book 2

THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR - Part 4

2011-09-16T02:35:00.000-07:00

I left out an important part of my story. That part has to do with how I finally faced my fear about becoming honest with my parents concerning my sexuality. Here is how it happened:

The fall after my wife had left me, I decided it was time to come out to Mom and Dad. I had decided to come out to them while I was at home for Thanksgiving. This caused a great deal of anxiety for me, but I had spent time discussing this decision with my gay support system. I brought along some books to help educate my parents. One of them was a book written by a very devout religious mother of a gay man, titled My Son Eric. Before I took this step, I spent my Saturday night at a local gay bar I'd heard about.

While there I met a strikingly handsome man with whom I enjoyed a night of passion. I arrived home after a sleepless night to find my mother who had spent her own sleepless night worrying over my whereabouts. She was not pleased about my all-nighter! As Dad and my sister, Patty, joined us in the kitchen, I ended the charade I'd been acting out with my folks and I came out to them.

They were surprised and confused, but they let me know that they still loved me. My father naively suggested that he thought life would go easier for me if I could only get back together with my estranged wife and lead the so-called normal life. I patiently tried to tell them the truth I'd kept to myself all of those years and to start dispelling some of the myths about homosexuality.

Naturally, I conveniently kept the troubling aspects of my compulsive sexuality from them! I pretended to be the perfectly-adjusted gay man. Talk about self-deception! Nevertheless, their acceptance of me based on this new knowledge was such a relief; and, they slowly began their own journeys of overcoming homophobia, as they educated themselves about gay people.

Books and Kindles by Author David Aujourd hui (these two below are at a special price in Kindle Format for $2.99)

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" Book 1
"Babes in Bucksnort" Book 2

Guest Post: My Publishing Adventure by Davis Aujourd’hui

2011-09-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

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.

Through the Open Door - Part 3

2011-09-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

I spent the next few months living with an openly gay man who was obviously a full blown sex addict. Between the two of us, we literally had a revolving door through which multiple sexual partners came and left every week. It was an exciting time for me, but there would be decisions ahead that would need to be made. I would need to decide what to do when my leave of absence was over. I would also need to decide what to do about my marriage.

I was offered a transfer by the publishing company and I turned them down. I wanted to stay in the area. I decided to get my real estate license and embark upon a new career. I moved back in with my wife to give it another try, but I soon met another man with whom I began another love obsession. It would be the beginning of the end of my marriage.

His name was Rick and he was stationed in the Air Force. Because neither of us had a place to go where we could be intimate, we maintained an affair of the heart. We would meet at the gay bar where we would dance and kiss only to have to go back to our respective homes at the end of the evening. During the days, we would talk on the phone. We had both fallen in love.

My wife bravely endured what had become a battered marriage, but that endurance would only be able to be maintained for so long. As the summer drew to a close, I was absolutely beside myself with my feelings for Rick and the desire to consummate our relationship. I finally proposed a tryst at our apartment while my wife was at work. Rick consented and I was delirious that I would finally be able to take our relationship to the next level after a summer of yearning for Rick.

The pitfall in my plan was that my wife didn't go into work on the day of our scheduled meeting and I couldn't reach Rick by phone to forewarn him. At that point I felt such a sense of desolation and longing. I also realized that I wanted Rick more than I wanted to remain in the marriage. I told my wife of my plans to have Rick over and then I hurriedly left our apartment.

I ran up the entry road to try to signal Rick before he drove into a situation that would cause him embarrassment. He saw me and he pulled into the adjacent Pizza Hut where I explained the awkward circumstances and I expressed my desire to somehow try to meet some other time. I felt such an awful ache when he looked at me with his sad, beautiful brown eyes and told me he couldn't go on like this. He advised me that he would rather not see me again. When I returned to the apartment, my wife had rented a U-Haul trailer and proceeded to move out.

I never did see Rick again. On the other hand, my wife and I still had some sorting out to do. We saw each other several times over the ensuing months during which we nursed the hope that we could make a go of our marriage. I realized this probably would not possible at the same time that other unmanageable events began to take place within my life. I was soon lost in another suicidal depression and had to stop work. I took the only viable option at that time. I moved back home with my parents.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Books and Kindles by Author David Aujourd hui (these two below are at a special price on Kindle for $2.99)

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" Book 1
"Babes in Bucksnort" Book 2

"Putting the Pieces Together" Kindle Version only for .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.

Through the Open Door - Part 2

2011-09-11T07:01:00.000-07:00

We had an idyllic wedding following what I would later come to realize had been a bizarre bachelor party. That is part of my story in my article entitled “Reaching for Recovery – Putting down the Drink.” During a blackout, I came out to my sister and several members of the wedding party.

Even so, the next day, I marched down the aisle with my new bride before we departed for a fantasy wedding trip to Bermuda. The sad truth was that, once the honeymoon was over, a tragedy would begin to play out over the coming two years.

Within a short period of time, I found the anxiety of self-doubt quickly creeping into my life. I would awake with that awful sense of dread, having to literally force myself out of bed, followed by torturing myself with thoughts that I was incompetent during my morning commute. I also found myself seeking out new places where I could temporarily act out my homecoming anxiety. I reverted to my sneaky sexual behaviors even though my wife had expressed permission for me to have sex with men. The one caveat was that I couldn't fall in love with them. This only fueled the forest fire of my sexual addiction.

Even though she'd given me that permission, I still had the sense that she hoped I wouldn't need to act upon my desires if she could be the perfect wife. I'd arrive home to find her preparing dinner after juggling her senior year classes and all of their demands. This only served to exacerbate my guilt. What I'd imagined to be an ideal situation for me was turning into a living nightmare.

Within the time span of a few short weeks, I was emotionally bottoming-out once again. My morning anxiety mounted to the point where just leaving the house became sheer torture. I would fitfully delay my exit from bed, hoping I could drift back into the oblivion of sleep, only to discover I was so late that I would have to cancel my scheduled appointments.

When I was able to be on the job I would find that to make each call was an exercise in anxious humiliation. This only served to increase my arsenal of self-abuse. I started replaying the tape in my head that I was an incompetent fraud. I would pace the apartment, thereby wasting more precious time. Sometimes I would not arrive in Boston until afternoon, trying to go through the motions of work while I found myself in a hypnotic trance, filled with self-loathing.

It was impossible to keep up any charade of normality with my wife. It was her first time witnessing these behaviors and they frightened her. Nevertheless, my twenty-one year-old bride, stood by her man, trying to find a way to get help for me. She returned to a therapist we had seen prior to our wedding for advice.

He advised her that he wasn't concerned about me; rather, he was concerned for her well-being. He gave her a therapist referral for me. Following a Thanksgiving trip to my family's home where we acted out the part of a happily married couple as best we could, I started my first true experience in psychotherapy.

I started seeing a psychologist named Barbara, who had a private practice in the attic of her Revolutionary War-era home. She really was an empathic soul. I will never forget how the two of us chain-smoked, while she gazed upon the thoroughly depressed shell of a man I had become. Her face reminded me of a sad hound dog.

After a handful of sessions with Barbara, I decided I needed to take a total timeout. I wasn't even able to fake it enough to make it into work at that point anyhow. I was granted a leave of absence by my sales manager; however, I felt ashamed and incompetent when he told me this was the first time such a leave had been requested.

My wife and I decided on a trial separation with me moving out of our marital apartment. That decision made, I felt a tremendous sense of relief. I excitedly went about searching for a temporary living situation with another gay man.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Books and Kindles by Author David Aujourd hui (these two below are at a special price on Kindle for $2.99)

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" Book 1
"Babes in Bucksnort" Book 2

"Putting the Pieces Together" Kindle Version only for .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.

THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR - Part 1

2011-09-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

I met another fellow in that restroom with whom I formed a friendship. He was nineteen and he was openly gay, having put his own demons to rest following a suicide attempt. His name was Marc. Marc would become the friend who would help me see the light that being gay wasn't such a bad thing.

He introduced me to gay bars where I was able to meet fellows before having sex with them. It wasn't much different in a way. Although I would learn their names and have sex in a bedroom, there was usually no further contact. Such seemed to be the way in gay life in the late 1970's and early 1980's.

Life in the bars not only fueled my increasing sexual addiction. It also fueled my increasing dependence upon alcohol. I remained in complete denial about both addictions for a number of years. After all, everyone seemed to be doing it!

I continued to see the fellow with whom I'd been having an affair. Even though I wanted to make something of it, he held back. Apparently he had his own demons with which to contend. He became a love obsession for me, but I still believed in my love for my fiance.

My new career had become very successful. I became a top performer in the college textbook sales industry. Likewise, plans for the upcoming wedding were progressing according to my design. My future wife remained in the dark about my double life. That would soon change.

While she was away during the summer we were to marry, I realized that it would not be fair to her to keep her in the dark any longer. I thought she deserved a chance to call off the wedding if she couldn't accept married life with a gay man. I knew that I wouldn't be able to be faithful to her.

A month before the wedding, we were reunited. I told her that I had something to tell her. She begged me to tell her, asking me, “Are you an alcoholic?”

“Not me,” I protested. Instead I told her the only thing I knew to be true at the time. Amidst a waterfall of tears from the both of us, I told her that I was gay.

We were naïve adult children and we didn't know what to do. What we did know was that we loved one another. We decided to bravely go ahead with our wedding plans. It would begin to close one door at the same time that it opened another one through which we passed. When we would walk through that door, we would enter a world filled with pain.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Books and Kindles by Author David Aujourd hui (these two below are at a special price on Kindle for $2.99)

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" Book 1
"Babes in Bucksnort" Book 2

"Putting the Pieces Together" Kindle Version only for .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.

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

2011-09-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

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

“Putting the Pieces Together” - Now Available in Kindle for .99 cents

2011-08-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Kindle Edition .99 cents

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."

Part 5 -Locked in the Closet

2011-08-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

I moved back to my college town and found a wonderful job working for a college textbook publisher. I moved into a happy apartment in the country and I began a brilliant career and what I thought would be a contented life. I medicated my anxieties by my increasing dependence upon alcohol and marijuana.

I proposed to my girlfriend in the spring. The timing was incredible. Just a few weeks later I had my first sexual encounter with another man. It would happen under tawdry circumstances which only continued to fuel my shame. It happened in a public bathroom.

A toxic bond was formed. I discovered that this bathroom was an easy place in which to find men interested in having sex with other men. I would return there often where I acted out my secret shame before returning to my so-called normal life. I was beginning to lead what would become an increasingly double life.

That summer, while my fiance returned to her parents' home, I met a young man with whom I began an affair. Never having realized that I could have romantic feelings toward another man had become an eye-opener. It would become the key that would eventually free me from my locked closet. In a little less than a year, I would walk through it, never realizing that I would eventually be giving up the so-called normal life.

Part 4 Locked in the Closet

2011-08-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I lost my virginity to a girl when I was twenty. I had been desperate to do so since the time I had been seventeen. I thought to myself, “Better late than never.” Unfortunately it did little to stop my homosexual fantasies and longing.

I found a steady girlfriend the following year and we began an ongoing romantic and sexual relationship. I proposed to her during the following year. I wanted so very much to be normal and to marry. I believed that I loved her. I hoped that, by marrying her, it would put my curse to bed for good. That was not to be.

I had graduated from college the year before I proposed. I went away to grad school, leaving my girlfriend who was still in college behind. We would have occasional reunions. Yet, while I was living on my own for the first time, my longings for sex with men became incredible cravings. I thought as if I was coming out of my skin.

I met a homosexual when I had been looking for an apartment. He told me he didn't want me as a roommate because he didn't want one who was gay. I was flabbergasted! How could he have possibly known? He planted a seed when he suggestively said, “Give me a call when you move into your own place and we can get together.”

When I moved to my new apartment, I often thought about calling him. Many times I would pick up the phone and dial the number only to slam the phone down before the call went through. I was in a panic and I didn't know what to do. I felt dirty and ashamed. I just wanted to die.

Within a month, I was desperate and horribly depressed. I couldn't concentrate on my schoolwork. I felt like a failure. I began to think that the only way out would be to end my life. Fortunately I reached out for help from a counselor. Afterward I made the decision to drop out of school.

With my head hung in shame, I packed up my apartment and headed to my parents' home. I felt like my life was over, but I felt safer now that I was away from temptation. The only thing that I thought would save me from a fate worse than death would be to get married. The other fate to which I referred would be to live my life as a homosexual.

Author Davis Aujourd'Hui

Sister Mary Olga Book Series:

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" (Book 1)

"Babes in Bucksnort" (Book 2)

Part 3- Locked in the Closet

2011-08-24T06:52:00.000-07:00

By the time I got to college, my sexual feelings had become unbearable. Still I clung to my secret and I took pains to be like the other boys. Whenever the subject of queers came up, I would be one of the first ones to make fun of them. I never stopped to think that those who protested so much might become suspect. Fortunately no one suspected me.

I was taunted by a college roommate who suggested I would like to be sexual with him. I couldn't believe that a straight guy would have been serious. I ignored the innuendo even though I longed for such an encounter. I believed I would be damned and scorned was I to act upon my impulses.

One night I found a message written on a bathroom wall by a guy who indicated that he wanted to have sex. The fellow had a name, “Butch,” and, he was kind enough to provide a phone number. I furtively copied it down, but kept restraining myself from giving into the impulse to call him; eventually, I caved.

I found a private phone booth located in the business school and went there when no one was within sight. Then, sweating bullets, I dialed the number and asked to speak to Butch. I tried to be cool when he came on the line, even though I was squirming in my pants.

He didn't make it easy for me when I said, “I'm calling about the message you left in the student union bathroom.”

He coyly asked me, “Just what did my message say?”

My voice quavered when I whispered the contents of the message, “It said to call you for a B.J.”

I was shaking as I waited for his response, but he purred a question, “What's your name?” I gave him my real first name only.

He then coolly asked me, “Where do you live?”

I was too afraid to tell him my exact address, so I lied. I gave him the address of the dorm next to mine.
Suddenly his voice took on a hateful and angry tone as he snarled at me, “Well, you fag, I'm going to get my rifle and come down to your dorm and give you the blow job of your life when I blow you away!”

I quickly hung up the phone, literally shaking in my shoes from my fear and abject shame. My shame was only compounded when I exited the phone booth. My academic adviser was standing at the adjacent bulletin board, posting notices. Oh my God!

Author Davis Aujourd'Hui

Sister Mary Olga Book Series:
"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"
"Babes in Bucksnort"

Part 2 Locked in the Closet

2011-08-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

I came to believe that homosexuality was a sin and I knew what that word meant by the time I was a young teen. I became more and more frightened at the prospect that I might be that way. All the while, I continued to be sexual with other boys. As we grew older, the other boys became less interested.

I promised myself that I wouldn't be sexual with them after the age of sixteen. I believed that, if I could do that, I wouldn't turn out to be a queer. Yet, when that time came, I still wanted to be sexual with boys...desperately so! Even so, I kept true to my promise to myself. Instead of being sexual with others, I became even more compulsively sexual with myself. I would fuel my fantasies with euphoric recall of days gone by. Secretly I wanted to become sexual with boys again, but I didn't know where to find any gay fellows with whom I could do so. I certainly didn't want to risk exposure.

More importantly, I didn't want my family to know my deep, dark secret. I was afraid that they would be disgusted and that they wouldn't love me anymore. I didn't have faith in myself or in their love for me. It was a sad and lonely time. There was absolutely no one with whom I felt safe to confide about my concerns.

I kept all of my feelings to myself and I felt consumed with self-hatred. I also couldn't understand why God would make me that way. I prayed that He would make me normal...whatever that meant and whatever that took.

Author Davis Aujourd'Hui

Sister Mary Olga Book Series

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

Book #2 "Babes in Bucksnort"

Part 1 Locked in the Closet

2011-08-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

I am a gay man. Wow! It took me a long time to admit that! There had been so much shame involved. Here is my story about how I found the key to open the closet door. Eventually I walked through it; but, for many years, I was locked in the closet. It was a closet of shame.

I always felt like I was different from most other boys. I didn't know much of what that was about. I did know that I seemed to be more sensitive than them. I seemed to feel more comfortable around girls and I enjoyed many of the things that girls liked to do. It's not that I didn't like boys or stereotypical boy activities. I was simply more drawn toward lighthearted play, music, theater, and art than I was toward sports or playing war games.

I did enjoy playing sports with my friends...as long as they remained friendly and not too competitive. When the heat was on, I became spastic. In school, I was often one of the last ones picked to be on the team. I allowed that to make me feel like I was a failure.

I was sexual with myself from a very early age. My fantasies always involved other boys, though I had no idea what that was about. I may have been sexually abused as a child. That's what my therapist believes to have happened. I've experienced flashbacks about possible sexual abuse and I have accused an adult to whom I was close as a child of having abused me.

When I was nine, I was seduced by some older boys. This led to an obsession about having sex with other boys. I eventually sexualized many of my male friendships. Somehow I believed that what I was doing was wrong and I felt ashamed.

I'm not sure when I first heard the words “homosexual,” “queer,” or “fag.” I do know that what I heard about these people was always disparaging. I heard stories about how they liked to dress up and play women. I heard that they liked to molest young boys. Whatever stereotypes I bought into, I couldn't relate to them. This led me to believe that I couldn't possibly be gay.

Aside from that, I wanted to be like everyone else. I wanted to be what I perceived to be normal. I wanted to grow up and marry. I wanted to have children. I couldn't understand why that couldn't happen. I easily fell in love with girls and had fantasies about someday marrying one of them. The only problem was that I never had a single sexual thought about them. Somehow, deep inside, I knew that I was gay. I also knew that I didn't want to be “that way.”

Author Davis Aujourd'Hui

Sister Mary Olga Book Series

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

Book #2 "Babes in Bucksnort"

THE SLOW AND STEADY ROAD TO SUCCESS

2011-08-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

Writing a book may be a challenge for some, but it has come easily to me. That's just the beginning. The real challenge is in getting the book published and marketed.

I began writing books six years ago and have completed thirteen so far. Two of them are self-published. This has meant that I've had to do all the marketing myself along with the help of a brilliant author's assistant. That's an expense which I've had to incur. It would be so much better if I had a publisher who would stand behind my books and bear that expense.

I have just finished a new book which is about a couple who go through three lifetimes together. I've written more than a hundred letters to agents, hoping to get picked up by one. I've had to face one rejection letter after another, trying to keep the faith that the right one will come along. That has been a challenge in and of itself. There is a ninety-eight percent rejection rate by agents who are queried by potential authors.

The thing is, most traditional publishers require that submissions be made by agents. That makes it of the paramount importance that I obtain one if I am going to achieve the success I believe I deserve. Over and over, I have had to affirm, the right one will come along.

I have discovered that affirmation is the key to me in achieving success within any arena in my life. It's an effective means of positivity that many people do not think to use. It has resulted in positive results within my life. I strongly advocate that any person use it in any capacity to achieve the same sort of results within his or her life.

The important thing is to never give up. As the saying goes, persistence pays off. I am grateful that two agents are currently reviewing my manuscript. That, in and of itself, is a step in the right direction. Agents will not look at manuscripts that are sent unsolicited. If they like the query letter that you send them, they will ask for additional materials. To be asked to review an entire manuscript shows that they are really interested in a project.

Yes, it has been a long way in coming. I have learned many lessons along the way. One important lesson has been to never give up hope. Even more important has been to practice affirmations that lead to faith. I do have faith in myself as a successful and profitable author. Writing my books has just been the first step, but I have had to start somewhere.

One of the rewards I've experienced as a result of my self-published books has been my readers' reviews. Most of them have been rated at five out of five stars. That affirms what I believe. I have written quality books that speak to people and those people love them.

My first book is “The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude.” It's a hilarious religious and social satire about a nun who loves her bourbon and her cigarettes. It also contains many spiritual messages.

Misadventures was followed up by the sequel, “Babes in Bucksnort.” Once again, my favorite nun spins outrageous tales about the residents of Bucksnort, Wisconsin. The Reverend Mother is a reformed prostitute. The convent's chef is a gay cowboy. There is also a nasty prude and busybody who is always digging in the dirt. She finds plenty of that to dish up among the other residents of the Snortlands.
Come and see for yourself. You will take a joyride that tickles your funny bone until it aches. You may purchase my books through Amazon.com.

Keep your eyes open. There will be plenty more books in the series to come. You will also want to look for my latest book which is called “Intertwined Loves.” That's the project that is currently being considered by agents. It will be a ways to come before it's published, but I have faith today.

Nothing is impossible.

Dreams do come true if you but believe.

They have for me.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

WHY I LOVE WRITING HUMOR

2011-08-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

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

Blogtalkradio interview Of Author Davis Aujourd'hui By middaycoversations

2011-08-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

You can listen to the interview if you missed it.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/middayconversations/2011/08/02/author-davis-aujourdhui-and-recording-artist-justin-cash

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Blogs:
http://bestsatireseriesofthedecade.blogspot.com/
http://authordavisaujourdhui.blogspot.com/

PROSPERITY CAN BE YOURS

2011-07-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have all the luck? It is not a matter of luck. It is a matter of applying spiritual principles to your life. Yet many people don't even know that's what they're doing. To them, prosperity just comes naturally.

Prosperity doesn't just refer to financial abundance. It applies to abundance in all areas of your life. This can include loving relationships, rewarding jobs, good health, in addition to money. Blessings will flow your way when you appreciate what already is. That will attract more of what you are seeking.

This has been the case with me. It is an example of faith. Instead of focusing on what I don't have or what displeases me, I shift my focus. This may be easier said than done, but it works. Gratitude is a good starting place, but truly appreciating what is present in your life is the pathway to prosperity.

As Esther Hicks would say, it all begins at a feeling good level. When you feel “good,” goodness naturally flows to you. That is why it is paramount not to let anything take you from experiencing consistent moments of joy.

Okay. Here is the normal starting point. You may experience a certain lack of abundance and that will normally make you want what you don't have. From that point, as Esther would say, you shoot off a rocket of desire. The thing is that you don't want to stay stuck in the problem. That will only attract more of what you don't want in your life.

You must necessarily accept that whatever is manifesting at present is for your best. Focus on being grateful and then allow yourself to feel deep appreciation for your blessings. You may not think you are blessed or that you are worthy. Don't stay stuck there. Instead, think of everything in your life that is good.

Without good health, you would have no quality of life. Hopefully you have that form of abundance present in your life. Use that as a starting point. Do you have shelter? Do you have adequate food? These are blessings many of us might take for granted. Allow yourself to feel that appreciation flow into your being. Continue to focus on whatever small or great blessings you may already possess. You will be amazed to realize how prosperous you already are. That is a wonderful starting point.

Shift your focus from anything that is negative. If you don't do so, you will attract more things about which will make you feel “bad.” Focus on that pathway to joy. If you can't feel it now, begin to climb the ladder to the next best feeling that will lead you higher and higher. Eventually, you will reach the place of joy.

Then be sure to practice awareness of anything that might take you from that place. Do not allow it. Surround yourself with positive people, places, and things that will assist you in feeling that joy from within.

Joy doesn't come from anything outside yourself. You can appreciate something like a beautiful sunset, but that is not what is making you happy. What is doing that is that you are connecting with your inner sense of wonder.

God, or what Esther would call Source, only wants the best for you. It is only you that can block yourself from experiencing prosperity. Practice affirmations. I am worthy of love. I enjoy and deserve to make money. I deserve a good job. I enjoy using my talents. I am a creative expression of the divine.

These are just some examples of affirmations. It's more important that you create your own. Practice them whether you believe them or not. Just try to believe. That is a good starting point. The more you practice affirmations, the closer you will come to believing them. Practice makes perfect. You are already perfect whether or not you realize you are. Prosperity is your birthright and it will be yours if but you only believe.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Guest Blog Post of Author Davis Aujourd'hui with Barry

2011-07-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

When I first started finding out about today’s guest and his books, first thing that caught my eye was his name, rather pen name… Davis Aujourd'hui remembering my French, Aujourd'hui means “today, which in the case of Davis is a good name. The author himself has gone through demons, and his book "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. But what of Davis…today. His wonderful delve into the world of Holiness “The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude” is a satire with a spiritual message.

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. 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.

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, serves 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.

This first book has been followed up by “Babes in Bucksnort”, where you meet t the Reverend Billy-Bob Blunthead and his Born Again or Burn Forever Disciples for Jesus. There is as we learned a third book currently in the editing stage.

Davis told us during the show that he already has twelve books written and the ideas just keep flowing, so you know this series that will have you laughing out loud, will soon be filling people’s book shelves.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Davis Aujourd'hui".

Barry

A Book and a Chat with Davis Aujourd'hui on Blogtalkradio

2011-07-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

If you missed the show you can click on link to listen:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/across-the-pond/2011/07/16/a-book-and-a-chat-with-davis-aujourdhui

Davis Aujourd'hui outrageously funny book entitled “The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude". With a title lihke that you know there are bound to be plenty of laughs during the show. I hope we also learn about his two under production books "Babes in Bucksnort" will be the next book in the series to be published followed by “Have A Heart.”

A former social worker, having worked for Adult Protective Services in New York State for nearly twenty years. Davis developed the characters within his books in order to entertain a colleague of his using the gift of humor.

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortute"
Paperback Book: $13.95 Purchase here
Kindle Format: $3.99 Purchase here

"Babes in Bucksnort"
Paperback Book: $13.95 Purchase here
Kindle Format: $3.99 Purchase here
Do not forget you can send a Kindle as a gift to anyone that has an email address!

A Book and a Chat with Davis Aujourd'hui - Keep Saturday July 16, 2011 Open

2011-07-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

RADIO SHOW:

“A Book and a Chat with Davis Aujourd'hui”

Saturday July 16th – 11:00am EST

Listeners can call to speak directly to Author Davis Aujourd'hui 347- 237-5398

Location: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

Author of "Across the Pond"

Radio Blog: http://abookandachat.blogspot.com
Humor Blog: http://laughithoughtmytrouserswouldneverdry.blogspot.com/
Across the Pond Blog: http://acrossthepond-storyheart.blogspot.com
Blog Talk Radio Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond
Book Site: http://across-t-pond.com/

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

2011-07-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

Every month should be used for raising awareness of those who are mentally-challenged such as myself. While I have been in remission from serious mental health problems for some time, I have the ability to empathize with those for whom the challenge goes on. It is no laughing matter.

Did you realize that, on an annual basis, over one-quarter of the population suffers from some form of mental health challenge? Highest on the list are those who suffer from clinical depression. This is a serious condition, lasting more than two weeks and up to months. It affects a person's ability to function on a daily basis. Women are more susceptible than men. It is a condition that can affect any age group, but is less prevalent among those over sixty.

Nearly six percent of the population suffers from a debilitating form of mental illness that prevents them from living a normal life. People with mood disorders such as a bipolar disorder involve about four percent of the population. The most serious form of mental illness – schizophrenia – affects approximately one percent of the population.

A host of other disorders makes up for the rest. These include anxiety disorders such as phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorders, and post-traumatic stress. Other problems include attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, autism, and personality disorders.

Slightly under half of those who are mentally ill do not accept or receive adequate treatment. This leads them to suffer lives whereby they are deprived of realizing their potentials. Many of those who resist treatment end up on our streets as part of the homeless population. What a sad life for them!

Not only does the illness affect those who are afflicted, but it affects the family and friends of the mentally-ill as well. This has far-reaching implications on those who are affected, directly and indirectly. Mental illness affects a large percentage of our population.

What makes matters worse has been that health insurance companies have not treated mental illness like other physical illnesses. They have placed limitations on their coverage. This has led those affected to lose coverage for things like psychotherapy which provides a measure of relief. It's time that we wake up to the fact that an illness that affects the brain is as much of a physical illness as any other illness.

Awareness of the problem is the first step. Any of you can help to raise the consciousness of the larger whole. Like everything in life, compassion is the key. No man is an island. It is up to each of us to support our brothers and sisters. Without that support, people become isolated and disenfranchised. Nobody truly wants or needs to do it alone. Step up to the plate and be a friend to those in need.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Some helpful places if you find you need some help, need how to handle a situation or even just someone to talk to:

The Trevor Lifeline - 866-488-7386 - http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
American Foundation for Suicide Preventition - 800-273-talk http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=1 offers a large variety of information.
Alcoholics Anonymous - http://www.aa.org/lang/en/subpage.cfm?page=26 Support Group Locations and much more information

Never give up! There is help out there!

ACCEPTANCE

2011-07-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

I believe that one of the greatest life challenges for most of us, is to come to a place acceptance. It's a matter of putting our lives into perspective with the greater whole. It's a means of coming to realize that acceptance is the answer to all of your problems or challenges for today.

How many of you tend to blame life's circumstances for your own? This can come in the form of blaming relationships, your job, your geographic location, your lack of money, lack of education, not to mention a host of other situations.

To accept, means to realize that everything in life – good and bad – happens for a reason. Because of this, it's so very important to forgive yourself for anything which you have been holding onto from your past.

Likewise, it is important to forgive others. Otherwise you will simply hold onto a toxic residue which will bring you no happiness. Whatever has happened has brought you to your today. And you're right where you're supposed to be in the cosmic scheme of things.

Life simply is. It's up to you to accept life on life's terms. It is also a matter of realizing that every choice you have made in your life has manifested in your own circumstances. You can't change the past, but you can chart a new course for your future by making right choices.

Amazingly, everything starts at the thought level. Whatever desire you send forth into the universe will necessarily manifest. Like attracts like.

When you put out a negative, it will eventually show up. The same is true for whatever positive energy you send forth. That's why it is so important to remain aware in the present. Even your thoughts are chosen.

Why would anyone choose something negative? What would be the reward? It would only spell out some form of human misery. Life is good and is meant to be about joy. That is a good starting point.

Follow your thoughts that lead to joy and that will become your experience. Take care not to judge yourself if you don't do it perfectly. After all, you're only human. By realizing this, you can give yourself a break.

Accept the grace that flows to you and share it with others. It will only increase your joy.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Happy 4th of July to All! From Author Davis Aujourd'hui

2011-07-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

"Enjoy and be Careful"

DETACH WITH LOVE

2011-07-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Life is a matter of attaching and learning to let go. To attach yourself to anything or anyone will keep yourself as a prisoner. Do not allow yourself to be a victim. Let go of the attachment and detach with love.

What are some examples of persons or things you can attach yourself to? You can attach yourself to abusive relationships or to relationships with addicts. You can attach yourself to various addictions: drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, workaholism, compulsive buying, compulsive religion, or compulsive exercise to name but a few.

Now comes the big question. How do you detach? It will be a challenge. It will involve making a difficult choice. Perhaps it will mean having to leave a relationship. Perhaps it will mean giving up an addiction. It will involve an unfamiliar road and that can lead to fear.

The important thing to remember is that you are the only one who can do it. Do it as an act of love. You are the only one who can take care of yourself and you are worth it.

We are all given free will in this life. Everything we think or do is a matter of choice. We can do no wrong. Whatever path we follow is the right one for ourselves. This is why it is so important to forgive ourselves when we think we have made a mistake.

The point is that we can make choices that will lead us in a positive or negative direction. The question is, what would you prefer? Do you want to keep repeating the same mistakes or do you want to move forward to freedom?

The first key is to practice awareness. Focus upon your emotions. Anything that doesn't feel good will be an indicator that you would prefer to head in a different direction. Likewise, good feelings will indicate that you are moving in the matter of what would be your preference. Follow your joy and leave the rest behind.

Letting go is not an easy thing to do. It's human to attach yourself to anything outside yourself. The point is to follow what is the desire of your spirit. It will never lead you astray.

Practice prayer and/or meditation. Try journaling. Talk over your situation with another. Get professional help, if necessary. Join a support group. Any or all of these things will be helpful. It's up to you to reach out for help. No one has to do it alone, nor should they try. We can easily rationalize, make excuses, or get caught up in delusional thinking.

Take a leap of faith and let go of whatever is bothering you. Make the choice that only you can. Move forward and don't look behind. Just, whatever you do, do it with love.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

EGO VERSUS SPIRIT

2011-07-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

You are all spiritual beings having a human experience. Only spirit is real. It will never lead you astray. On the other hand, being human means to discern when your ego is getting in the way. In order to do so, you must practice awareness.

The ego is a trap of defensiveness that leads you to do some of the following things: It convinces you that you're right and someone else is wrong. It can lead to comparisons and judgment. It can lead to conflict and discord. What would you prefer? Would you rather enter into conflict or remain in a place of peace and joy?

It has been said by the great spiritual author, Anthony DeMello, that there are only two states. One is love. That is the spirit. The other is fear. That is the ego talking.

Jesus, himself, preached the message of love. He also said, judge not lest you be judged. Whether or not you can see it, when you judge another, you are simply judging a part of yourself that you have not been able to accept.

Before his time, there was an emphasis upon judgment which led to conflict. That's the ego talking again. When that happens, it's time to wake up. When you recognize someone else is in a place of ego, that is when it's time to turn the other cheek and walk away.

The Course in Miracles also maintains that there are only these two states. When someone is in a place of fear (ego), that is an opportunity for you to offer love. Sometimes that will simply mean to detach. Not everyone believes they are worthy of love. This is the sad truth. When someone practices love (spirit), it will attract more of the same.

To find your way to your spirit, you must follow the pathway of joy. Esther Hicks maintains that you should let nothing take you from that place. That is of the utmost importance.

When you can remain in a place of joy, all blessings will begin to flow toward you. When you are stuck in a place of ego, negative consequences will be attracted.

She maintains that we live in a vibrational universe. This all starts at a feeling state. In order to attract the abundance that Spirit wants for you, you must appreciate what is. That is simply a matter of accepting that it is all good.

To dwell upon the negative only draws more of the same to you. Conversely, maintaining a positive attitude will attract those things that you desire.

The spirit is the source of all positive energy. The ego is connected to that which is negative. Just remain aware and follow your joy. It's a challenge to be sure, but it's worth the effort. Whatever you put out will return to you in kind. The choice is yours.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

JOIN THE HUMAN RACE

2011-06-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

Do you feel alone and isolated? Do you feel as if you are the only person in the world? If you do, the answer is to join the human race.

You are each unique; but, underneath it all, you are the same. You are part of the whole of all creation. Yet to feel that way, you need to join hands and embrace your common humanity.

It is said that no man is an island. You do not need to do it alone. When you join with your brothers and sisters, you will feel a part of something greater than yourself.

Some people choose to say that is God. Some people simply experience it as being part of a family or group. Whatever is the case for you, allow yourself to share in the group experience.

Try to see your common identity with people that you might judge to be different than yourself. You will be amazed at the common bond you will feel. When you stop focusing on differences, you will align yourself with something that is greater than yourself. It will be a liberating experience.

To remain isolated and separate from the whole, your ego will lead the way. This will only lead to conflict. You will not remain at peace.

Do you want to find freedom? Do you want happiness? If that is the case, step aside from your ego. Identify and relate to others instead of comparing yourself against them. That only leads to judgment and a false sense of reassurance.

If someone has harmed you, do as Jesus said and turn the other cheek. That's not to say, let them walk all over you. Just walk away from the conflict and offer up love and forgiveness.

To take on a resentment, will only keep you locked in a prison of your own making. It will become a poisonous brew that will only hurt yourself. You deserve freedom. You deserve joy.

Allow yourself to align with that greater spirit that unites us all. That is the pathway to peace, freedom, and joy. That is the way to join humanity and become part of the human race.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Checkout Author Davis Aujourd'hui new Kindle "Putting the Pieces Together" for $2.99

"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.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui on the Radio - the lets talk mom - the-radio-show

2011-06-21T06:02:00.001-07:00

June 2, 2011 Broadcast

Guests – Davis Aujourd’hui, a retired social worker and author of "Babes in Bucksnort"; TS Wiley discusses results of a new study on estrogen and breast cancer aggression.

Topics Covered Page views; Intrepid Museum; Visiting Mars; Martians don’t talk; Bucksnort, Tennessee; 11 books in the series; Pronunciation and photo; Social worker for adult needs; Phillip’s look on the website; Yes, it’s obviously Phillip; Positive mental attitude toward healing; Estrogen and progesterone; Vascular effects; The Standard of Care; Estrogen in cream form; Wiley Protocol

“Who Sez That?!?” Frying pan handle and juice bowl.

To Listen to Broadcast click here - Scroll down to June 2, 2011 and there will be the recording!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

June is Gay Pride Month - CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

2011-06-21T05:23:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post from a good friend of mine who is extremely talented.
By joseph c. knudson

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.

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

CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO BE ALL YOU CAN BE

2011-06-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Do you feel as if you're not the person you would like to be? Do you feel as if your life is lacking meaning? Do you feel envious of others? Worse yet, do you feel as if you were a failure? Then it's time to challenge yourself – to be all that you can be.

As a young child, you may have had dreams. Perhaps those dreams never came to fruition. Perhaps those dreams changed along the way. No matter the case, it is imperative that you come to believe in yourself. Have faith that dreams come true.

As a young child, I wanted to become famous. Life challenges prevented that from happening. That's just as well. Fame would only have fed my ego which was based upon insecurities.

I am a survivor of a traumatic childhood. I suffered from years of suicidal depressions. I am also a recovering alcoholic and recovering sex addict. Years of therapy and twelve-step programs were the key to opening up my potential to become the person I had always wanted to be. Slowly, but surely, I learned to let go of those things that didn't serve my spirit as I also came to better know myself. Then I was in a position to grow and to realize dreams.

I'm still not famous, nor do I care if I ever am. What I am now is a successful author and that manifested from another dream I'd developed along the way. If I can realize my dreams, anyone can.

All of this can come to you if you're willing to take my challenge. Surround yourself with positive people, places, and things that you can emulate. Consider things such as letting go of self-destructive behaviors, going into therapy, joining a support group, or finding a church that feeds you positive messages based upon love, not fear. Become a part of a greater community. Break out of any tendencies to isolate. Get in touch with your spirit and focus on activities that make you feel good about yourself.

It's not an easy road to overcome life challenges, but it can be done. It takes a lot of work, but it will pay great dividends. Believe that you are worth it. Then begin a little at a time. It only takes baby steps, one day at a time, to move forward in a positive direction.

Face your fears and take those baby steps toward overcoming your hangups. Nudge yourself a little at a time. You can do it. It is simply a matter of taking charge of your life. Choose not to be an observer of your life. Be a participant!

It all begins with focusing on whatever inspires you and brings you to a place of joy. As you continue to follow your joy, amazing things will begin to happen. For one thing, it will bring you to a place of gratitude. Your whole attitude and outlook on life will change. Eventually, all kinds of good things will begin to come your way.

Positive thoughts and actions will manifest in positive results. You will develop a life filled with meaning as you let go of any judgments connected to your past. Whatever has come to pass has brought you to your now. The present moment is the place to begin.

Remain true to your emerging self as you come to know who you truly are. Take a good look at yourself as you learn to become more honest. It will involve taking a look at your strengths and weaknesses.

Focus on your strengths and be gentle with yourself as you look at your weaknesses. After all, you are only human as we all are. Do not compare yourself to others. Keep the focus on yourself. The good news is that you can let go of your weaknesses and turn them into strengths as you develop more awareness of your authentic self and the self you want to be.

What's past is past. Come to appreciate and accept what has been and what is. Look with eagerness to you future. Affirm and believe, you can be all you want to be. Dreams do come true.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

For some guidance with some challenges, I have created a Kindle E-Book call "Putting the Pieces Together" available at Amazon.com for $2.99 and you can purchase here

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

2011-06-18T16:39:00.000-07:00

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

The Ground Report India - Guest author: Davis Aujourd hui- Do You Have a Sexual Addiction?

2011-06-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

by Jackie ONeal for The Ground Report India

DO YOU HAVE A SEXUAL ADDICTION?

Guest Post: Author Davis Aujourd'hui

One of the latest and fastest growing addictions is an addiction to sex. It is an addiction that creates a feeling of powerlessness over one's sexual behaviors and that creates unmanageability in one's life. It can create a feeling of guilt or shame. It can ruin relationships.

It is a very real addiction that releases powerful chemicals in the brain during the pursuit of sex or while having it. It is not unusual for sex addicts to have problems with other addictions, though that is not always the case. It is a progressive disease whereby the sex addict needs to engage in increasingly more dangerous behaviors in order to get a thrill.

For some, it is not about cheating on partners. For these it may be an addiction to pornography. For others, it may be an addiction to internet hookups. The behaviors are not necessarily the same, but the end result is. Sex and fantasy about it interfere with a person's ability to lead a happy and productive life.

The good news is that help is available. A growing number of therapists are beginning to specialize in the dealing with this addiction. There are also a number of twelve-step programs that have helped sex addicts achieve freedom from sexual addiction. Not all areas of the country will have all of the programs available. The good news is that some of these programs have on-line or telephone meetings for those areas where there are no established meetings.

You will find that some of these programs may be a better fit for you than others. Some are more rigid. Some allow you to come to your own definition of what is a sexually healthy life for you. Here are some programs into which you can inquire:

Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA)

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA)

Sexual Compulsives Anonymous (SCA)

Sexaholics Anonymous (SA)

Below, I have created a self-quiz for you to decide whether or not you may have a problem. That is for you to decide, but if you have answered yes to three or more questions, you may want to seek help.

Now try my self test:

1. My sexual behaviors have ruined relationships.

2. I find sex with others more exciting than sex with my partner.

3. My sexual behaviors have created unmanageability in my daily life.

4. I spend a lot of time on the computer looking at pornography or looking for hookups.

5. My sexual behaviors sometimes interfere with me meeting my responsibilities.

6. I spend a lot of time fantasizing about sex.

7. I try to control my sexual thoughts and behaviors.

8. I like to have sex more frequently than does my partner.

9. I have felt guilty about or ashamed of my sexual behaviors.

10. I use sex to medicate my feelings or to relieve stress.

About Author Davis Aujourd'hui :

Davis Aujourd'hui is creator of the highly- rated and hilarious Sister Mary Olga Fortitude- a series of nine books centered on religious and social satire.

He is a retired social worker, having worked for Adult Protective Services in New York. He said it enabled him to become a student of the human condition. While doing so, he developed the characters in his books in order to entertain a colleague of his using the gift of humor. He is socially-minded and spirituality, he says is the most important ingredient for him in order to maintain a happy and successful life.

Tags: Sexual Addiction , Sex Addicts , Sex Addict Anonymous , Sex And Love Addicts Anon , Sexual Compulsion , Sexaholics Anonymous

PRACTICING THE GOLDEN RULE

2011-06-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

Love one another as you would love yourself. Wouldn't it be a perfect world if you could do it! The good news is that, with practice, you can. It is simply a matter of following what your heart tells you to do.

So, you've had challenges in your pasts. The question is, what can you do to undo the damage of what has come before? It's very simple. Just seek out the person who you may have wronged and apologize. If that person can't accept your apology, don't react. Just accept that the person is not in the place to forgive yet. Don't let your ego get in the way. Let it go.

This has been a life-long lesson for me and I still have a way to go, but I'm getting better with each passing day. What I've had to do is to remember that I'm only human. Then I've had to forgive myself for my errors of omission or commission. I encourage you to do this too.

Self-forgiveness is the first step toward freeing yourself from the trap of judgment. Without practicing it, you will only continue to beat up yourself. You can be your own worst enemy. Choose a better way. Freedom can be yours.

Look on the light side of life and realize that you are only human too. Nobody is perfect except within their souls. That's the place from which you want to draw in order to practice unconditional love. That means to accept the other person no matter who they are or what they do.

If someone slights you in some way, turn the other cheek. Don't let your ego react. Recognize that the other person is only human too. Remember all the loving qualities that person possesses. The pathway to unconditional love is not easy, but it's, oh so, rewarding. At all times, remember The Golden Rule.

Another important key to being in the right place to practice this important rule is to remain aware. Don't let your troubles stand in the way. Take time out to let them go. Spend some time meditating, go for a walk, or do anything that distracts you. Stay in the present moment. Then remember that life is good and that it's supposed to be about joy.

The most important thing is to not let anything take you away from your joy. If you can do that, nothing will ruffle your feathers. You may even see the humor in difficult situations. Just remember not to laugh inappropriately. That might just spell out trouble. Keep the joke to yourself unless you are sure it will entertain another.

Perhaps the most important lesson that Jesus taught was The Golden Rule. If only everyone practiced it, we wouldn't need The Ten Commandments. Lead the way by the power of your example. It will inspire others to follow suit.

Just continue to remain aware. Continue to affirm that you can do it. Then put it into practice. The rewards will be amazing. You will remain on the path of freedom and lead others to follow you. You can do it. Now is the time to begin!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

BEING RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS WILL OPEN NEW DOORS OF UNDERSTANDING

2011-06-09T02:29:00.000-07:00

Most of us have different lifestyles, religions, ethnic groups, cultures, and politics to name a few. By embracing the diversity of others, you will open new doors of understanding. You will create an atmosphere of tolerance that will help you to appreciate the uniqueness of others. It may also help them to appreciate you.

Respect breeds respect. It is only a matter of detaching from what you believe to be true and being open to learning. After all, life is a great teacher. It will lead to wisdom that will help you to navigate the waters of what can sometimes be a difficult journey.

Many of you have experienced prejudice in one form or another in your lifetime. You may be a member of a minority race. You may be gay. The list could go on and on.

For me, I have experienced prejudice as a redhead, as a gay man, and as a sex addict who is gratefully in recovery. I used to take on those judgments and feel “less than.” I choose not to allow that anymore. I recognize that I am a unique human being as each of you are. I celebrate who I am. You can do that too. You are deserving of respect and love and to offer that to others.

Unfortunately, you will not find that from everyone. That is because it is human nature to judge. Some people just don't like people who are different than themselves. Don't let that be your problem. Let is be theirs. Chances are, they don't like themselves very much. Perhaps you can just offer them a prayer and then let it go.

Now comes the real challenge. Look deep within yourself to see where you have judged others. It is amazing the different forms of prejudice that have contaminated each of you along your life journey. Choose to embrace an open attitude of tolerance. Also practice awareness of your thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs.

It will be amazing to see what bubbles to the surface. You will be surprised by those hidden judgments that you have been cultivating during your life. Examine each of them and see if you can remember where it came from.

You weren't born to practice judgment. You learned that along the way. Just remember to forgive yourself and whoever may have passed on those judgments to you. You and they didn't know any better because both of you were taught the same things along the way.

Each of you does the best you can, each step of the way, with what you knew about yourself as you went through your paces. The point is, that you can relearn negative messages about others. You can grow.

Choose not to remain stagnant. With an open mind, you will begin to appreciate all of the delicious diversity that life can offer. It will open new doors of understanding that will lead you to experience the beautiful tapestry of life.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Davis Aujourd’hui – "Babes in Bucksnort"

2011-06-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

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

GRATITUDE IS THE ANSWER

2011-06-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

Whenever you are feeling down and out, there is a solution. Gratitude is the way. By counting your blessings, you will begin to see where life is good. From this perspective, you will begin to attract more blessings your way.

As Esther Hicks says, we live in a vibrational universe. There is a law of attraction at work. When you put out positive thoughts, it will manifest in positive results. When you put out negative thoughts, that will become your experience.

That puts total responsibility on you for creating your own reality. For many, this may be an uncomfortable notion. Many of you unconsciously to cling to things that make you feel bad. The good news is that, when you feel good, you will attract more and more things to feel good about.

It all starts at the thought level. That is why it is so important to remain aware. Every thought becomes a prayer and it is said, “Be careful of what you pray for. You might just get it.”

Years ago, Oprah Winfrey kept a gratitude journal. She was so amazed at the results that she encouraged her audience members to do the same. When you practice an attitude of gratitude and really feel it, you will also be amazed at what will become your experience.

Focus on what is. That will lead you to acceptance. When you can do that, you will be practicing appreciation. That's the most important stepping stone to your joy.

When you can remain in that place of joy, the abundance of the universe will flow to you. That will only lead to more appreciation. You will keep the flow going at an ever-increasing rate.

It's said that it's no good unless you give it away. This can be done in various ways. The most important way in which you can do that is to share your spirit of joy with others. Joy is contagious and will continue to spread outward into the universe like the waves on the ocean.

The other way you can do this is to share your material wealth with others in need. The more you share, the more abundance will flow to you. There is more than enough for everyone. Once again, the important thing is to keep the flow going. As you do this, you will inspire others to come to a place of appreciation. Blessings will flow in many directions.

The bottom line is to maintain that attitude of gratitude. It is the supreme gift you can give to yourself. From there, you can pass on the gift to others. Just remember to remain aware and to practice focusing on the positive. It will reap the results that you deserve.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Books and Kindles by Author Davis Aujourd'Hui

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" Book 1 Paperback and Kindle

"Babes in Bucksnort" Book 2 Paperbook and Kindle

NEW-NEW-NEW "Putting the Pieces Together" Kindle Format only $2.99