The Hot Author Report - Interview with Author 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.

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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