The Winding Road to Becoming an Author with Larry Peterson (Guest Post)

Larry Peterson is one of the authors participating in the Win With eBooks event for March. Several authors have come together to offer a Buy One, Get One Free promotion on their eBooks as well as a chance to win some Amazon.com gift cards. The promotion is running from March 15 - 18 and you can find all the details at winwithebooks.com. Today I would like to welcome Larry to Library Girl Reads & Reviews to talk about his path to becoming an author...
First of all, I have always wanted to be a writer but my journey followed a winding sometimes circular road in getting to my destination. I spent 15 years working in the building trades in NYC with the Metal Lathers/Reinforcing Iron Workers until I was forced to leave that business when an insidious little demon known as MS (a handy little acronym for Multiple Sclerosis) attacked my central nervous system causing me to begin stumbling around like a drunk and then leaving me almost unable to walk at all. That was 30 years ago and today, after a lot of prayers, hard work and therapy, I use no walking aids of any kind and get around like most everyone else. My wife, Loretta, my three kids and I moved to Florida (doctor's advice) when this was all going down. I went to college and after I graduated I began doing part-time newspaper commentary for three local publications. I did that for about five years and, as is the way of things, those papers went out of business (I hope it wasn't my fault). That was around 1995 and I did not write much after that as many things were going on in our lives that took precedence over me. No excuses, it is just the way it was and I am glad that I was where I was at that point in time.
Loretta died nine years ago from cancer (melanoma) and I married a widow, Marty, about five years ago. Marty spent almost all of 2011 undergoing chemo treatments for cancer (Lymphoma) and, thank God, she is now in remission. I myself had prostate cancer and, in May, I will be five years out. It seems that cancer is like Al-Qaeda---always sneaking around and attacking people trying to kill them. Fortunately, due to incredible advances, cancers are not nearly as successful as they used to be but there is still a long way to go before, like Al-Qaeda, they are eradicated.
I began to write seriously about four or five years ago and my first book Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes (children's) was released in January 2011. My first novel is The Priest and the Peaches and was officially launched January 1 of this year. So, I am a husband, father, grandfather and officially a "senior citizen." Experiencing the life of a writer is my "permanent senior moment." It's ALL GOOD and I am not turning back.
The Priest and the Peaches Book Summary
Historical fiction novel set in the Bronx in the mid-1960s
Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.
They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Larry Peterson's Bio:
Larry Peterson was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. A former Metal Lather/Reinforcing Iron-worker, he left that business after coming down with MS. He, his wife and three kids moved to Florida 30 years ago. Larry began doing freelance newspaper commentary after graduating from Tampa College in 1984.
His first children's picture book, Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes was published in 2011. In 2012, his full length novel, The Priest and the Peaches, was released and he is presently working on the sequel.
He also has a blog (http://www.ThePriestandthePeaches.com) where he posts weekly commentary. He lives in Pinellas Park, Florida and his kids and six grandchildren all live within three miles of each other.
You can also find Larry Peterson on Facebook and Twitter.
Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Bookstore links are generally affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.